


you can watch me corrode like a beast in repose

by partiallyobscure



Category: The Lost Boys (Movies)
Genre: Allusions to past Michael/Star, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood, Bloodlust, Blowjobs, Bottom David, Bottom Michael, Brotherly snark, Canon Divergence, David Lives, David kinda has a danger kink, Everytime I update this I feel the need to remind you how much fluff there is, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff with a side of plot, Frottage, General Vampire Shenanigans, Hurt/Comfort, I borrowed him from the comic so light comic elements, Immediately Follows Ending, M/M, Masturbation, Motorcycle Handjobs, People as Food, Pining, Post-Canon, Questionable Vampire Lore, Rocky Horror shenanigans, Rosary Sex, Sexy Sax Man plays a non-saxophone part, Slow Burn, Snark, Telepathic Fuckery, Vampires in Baths, boardwalk dates, feelings tm, fluff overload, handjobs, shower blowjobs, soft david, we don’t appreciate Max in this house
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:35:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 91,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26903737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/partiallyobscure/pseuds/partiallyobscure
Summary: Michael feared he'd proved David right by being the killer he'd told him he was.Luckily, David was wrong.But how the hell are you supposed to hide a wounded vampire sleeping in your bed from your family and, worse, vampire hunters?Or: how tofall in love withcare for the vampire who has an obvious crush on you but also kind of tried to kill you 101.
Relationships: David/Michael Emerson (Lost Boys)
Comments: 88
Kudos: 215





	1. well it rains and it pours when you're out on your own

**Author's Note:**

> It's the this being the first fic I've written in five years for me. This is designed to be hurt/comfort fluff, first and foremost, and mostly meant to make myself wonder who gave me the permission to write these damn vampires to be so cute. And sexy, at times. And covered in blood, for sexy reasons.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy it. My everlasting thanks to my wife for all of her ideas, her plot bunnies, and her three-hour long talks with me at midnight about what these dorks would do and say in a given situation. <3 I couldn't have written this without her.
> 
> Big thanks to This_Time_I_Wont_Regret_My_Username for help with the summary!
> 
> I’m partiallyobscure on tumblr if you feel compelled to chat with me about gay vampires or My Chemical Romance or anything in between! Also kick my ass if you see me reblogging stuff on there instead of writing pls
> 
> Titles taken from the Sharpest Lives by My Chemical Romance.

Michael loved his family. Really, he did, but he could just kill his grandpa right about now. The soot-covered, fearful faces of him and his mother and brother stared back at the senile man before the stunned silence gave way to demands of explanation.

“–vampires?! And you didn’t think that was worth mentioning before we came here!”

“Seriously, Gramps, we could have all been killed–“

While Sam and Lucy covered rattling off about a hundred questions per minute to their savior, who was currently washing off whatever remnants of vampire entrails from Paul remained on a plate for a quick snack, Michael couldn’t do much more than laugh. Something had been off about his grandfather, there was no denying that, but being privy to undead bloodsuckers living in your neck of the woods and not telling your family about it? The whole thing was hilarious. He wasn’t aware of just how funny he found it until he realized the three faces staring back at him were mixed with trepidation and, in the case of Sam, growing irritation.

“You think this is funny, Mike? The whole house is a goddamn vampire graveyard now!” the youth was practically yelling in his ear, flinging a hand out for emphasis, which Michael had to duck to avoid. He only realized then that he was still clinging to his brother despite the threat that had already been dealt with, currently smoldering any last remains in the fireplace. Glancing forlornly at the inferno, he remembered how powerless he had been at saving his family, how close his mother had come to becoming a creature of the night too. How Sam would have been next. He shook the sobering thought off as he pried himself away from his still-clinging younger sibling.

“More like a vampire barbecue.” 

The Frog brothers - whom he had come to see as one conglomerate of an annoying younger brother - laughed at his distasteful attempt at humor, high-fiving each other and Sam, who had run off to exchange congratulations and pats on the back. Hopefully, this little victory wouldn’t mean those two would be hanging around more often, even if it did mean more friends Sam’s age that he could pester rather than Michael, whose former friends currently lay dead in various states around the house. He stole a glance over at Star, looking for all the world as if Laddie _was_ her entire world, no amount of death and decay able to harsh their euphoria of finally being free of the vampiric curse. Michael could hear their racing heartbeats like they were in stereo, wondering what that euphoria would taste like on his tongue. He ignored the pain blooming in his gums as Star’s voice serenaded him from his worries. 

“–believe it’s over. I don’t think I could have lasted much longer. Thank you so much, Michael. If it hadn’t been for your family…” She trailed off softly as the unspoken horror bore enough weight on all of their shoulders. A quick shake of her head and the dazzling smile returned as she cradled a fast-asleep Laddie on her shoulder, directing her query to Lucy. “Do you mind if we stay here for the night? We can share the couch, but the thought of going back to that cave alone, after everything that happened…” 

Lucy, overbearing mother as she was, seemed to be torn between two trains of thought: obviously help the young woman carrying the child or don’t take the risk again of trusting someone, no matter how unassuming they may seem. The hesitation flashed through her features but was only caught by Michael who stepped forward, lightly placing a hand on his mother’s shoulder, trying to will the crack in his voice to stop.

“It’s fine, mom. It’s over now.”

Michael’s words rang hollow in the wake of what she had just seen take place not ten minutes prior, but the light contact was more than she had seen from her eldest in days. Seeming to find confidence from Michael’s easement, she nodded her approval before wiping away an errant tear, the only betrayal to her otherwise caring reply. “Of course. But the sofa will be too small for you both. I’m sure Sam wouldn’t mind you taking his bed for the night.”

“No way! Ex-vamp or not, it’s my bed,” Sam protested, following Lucy and Star out of the room to argue his case, leaving only Michael to glance wearily at Edgar and Alan as they discussed what to do with the remaining vampire corpses. The pair gave him a headache but he tuned in anyway. It was entirely his fault that their grandfather’s house was awash in vampire remains of all kinds, after all.

“Need new pipes, fixtures, sheets - the best detergent in the world can’t save your delicates from shit-sucking vampires,” one of them was saying while the other nodded silently. “Me? I’d just move. Couldn’t stand living anywhere knowing four of ‘em had bit the dust in my house.” As if in unison, the siblings shuddered. Michael said nothing in response, only showing emotion in the form of a jump as his grandfather barked a laugh from behind him. 

“You really think no other vampires have bit the dust here? Kids these days. So naive.” The old man picked up his sandwich and root beer, leisurely passing by the three, shaking his head. “Clean this mess up before it starts smelling like the rest of Santa Carla, will ya?” He was gone in a flash, leaving behind three equally annoyed faces from the request.

The quieter Frog brother huffed. “Don’t see why we gotta clean it up. We killed one of ‘em too! Where’s our thanks?” His louder counterpart agreed and after a few back-and-forth grumblings about ‘no appreciation for the finer act of killing’, they rounded on Michael once again, shooting him two pairs of uneasy looks at the same time. “Sorry ‘bout your friends. Nothing personal.”

The urge to roll his eyes was suppressed as Michael half-heartedly shrugged. “You did what you had to, I guess.” He shifted uncomfortably from the intensity of their stares, unyielding even as he cleared his throat before he finally gave up and snapped. “What?”

Both boys flinched but did not break their scrutinizing looks as they regarded the older teen. “You’re, uh, cured, right? No more thirst for blood?”

“Not anymore than usual,” Michael answered cooly, showing his teeth at the pair, more as a means of distraction and overconfidence, though whether it was for them or his own benefit, he wasn’t exactly sure. The display seemed to take the heat off for the moment as they stared at him, unimpressed. “My vampire days are over, guys.”

The Frogs took a moment to consider, then shrugged. “Good. The more we can take out, the better. Speaking of, how the hell are we gonna make this place look like it wasn’t just a vamp massacre? We ain’t maids.” The other sighed, neither having answers but most likely wise enough now to know that they should probably take the request seriously lest they incur the ire of Sam and Michael’s grandfather. 

“Let’s start with White Wedding over there. He’s the only one still intact. Get the worst part of it over with.” The pair gave a curt nod to each other before breaking to make for the still body impaled on the antlers, barely making it two steps before Michael stopped them with two outstretched arms, daggers in his gaze. 

“Stop. I’ll deal with him. You guys handle the other two.” There wouldn’t be much of Max to clean up anyway, once the debris settled and it was safe to approach his final resting area. Body parts and whatever remained of Paul would be easier for the brothers to dispose of rather than an intact body. The excuses piled on but never left his lips, hoping that not saying more would be saying enough. They pushed his arms away and dusted off their already dirt-smothered clothes, not voicing whether they found Michael’s resistance out of the ordinary one way or another.

“Whatever, death breath. Just make sure you bury him deep enough that he can’t crawl back out.”

“He was a vampire, Edgar, not a zombie.”

“Undead’s the undead, if you ask me.”

The two walked off, arguing about the similarities and differences between supernatural creatures, leaving Michael alone with the vampire who had half-turned him. He stood with his back to David, unsure he could handle seeing the blank, slack-jawed expression on an otherwise peaceful face. Quiet as it was now, thoughts still raged inside of him, of how David had said he didn’t want to kill Michael. How despite everything that happened, he was still welcomed to join the group of misfits, his own weird family members and their murderous friends aside. How David had called him a killer.

How David was wrong. He had to be, for Michael’s sake. 

Steeling himself to once again be greeted with the sight of his murder scene, Michael turned slowly, approaching the corpse the same way one might approach a sleeping bear. His sigh fell onto his own ears as he reached forward, gingerly touching the tip of one of the antlers, trying not to imagine them ripping through his own sternum. “Guess I went too far,” he murmured, David’s playful question ringing in his skull and turning sour as Michael finally turned his gaze on him. He wondered if in his last moments, David was proud to be Michael’s first kill, if that’s why he had the ghost of a smile still present on his face. Michael would have given up almost everything to wipe it off for good.

He pushed those guilty thoughts away, still clinging to the justification that he was just protecting his family. How David and his gang had come after them and so whatever he got was deserved. _Only after Sam and his friends went after his_ , Michael’s traitorous brain supplied and all thinking was stopped entirely. He didn’t need to think to know what he had to do next. 

Michael took a deep breath before placing a hand under David’s bent knees and the other under his head, giving a solid yank upright to dislodge the antlers from his chest, wincing at the squelch the action produced. The overcoat snagged on another piece of bone and he stumbled, overestimating the amount of force he’d need without the added weight. An errant thought slipped through his mental blockage of how much smaller David looked without it in his arms followed by the slightly more amusing thought that David might actually kill him should he ever voice it. Pale, limp arms swung by David’s sides as Michael considered what to do. “You’d probably haunt me forever if I buried you in the backyard,” he voiced softly to the unresponsive visage, a nervous chuckle accompanying it. Humor aside, he couldn’t think of anything more he didn’t want to do than the task at hand, telling himself to think of it as burying a wounded animal put out of its misery rather than someone he could have seen himself growing close to. Had been growing close to.

Unable to delay the inevitable for much longer, Michael willed himself to start the arduous journey from the den to the backyard, turning this way and that to avoid knocking David’s head into any eclectic furniture along the way. Not that it should have mattered anyway - what were a few bumps or bruises on a corpse? “Shit!” he shouted, narrowly avoiding losing his footing as his next step was impeded by one of Sam’s comics, that damn _Vampires Everywhere_ nearly taking him out. David’s body shifted in his bid to regain composure but was otherwise still and Michael thanked some god that he hadn’t fallen, until pale blue eyes cracked open a sliver and David’s strained voice was practically a whisper in the thick air.

“Michael…?”

Any consciousness was lost again the next moment, Michael almost believing it could have been a fever dream if he hadn’t seen it happen. He’d frozen, every bone and muscle seizing as the vampire had spoken, voice broken and muted but alive all the same. Waiting felt like an eternity for the next few seconds for any further communication, but David’s head rolled to the side, cradled against Michael’s chest as he seemed to return to a state of lifelessness. Owner of said chest couldn’t do much more than stare down, breath held for reasons he wasn’t entirely sure of were logical at that moment. Relief, fear, and confusion were at the high end of the list as he breathed a single word out after a minute of silent screaming.

“Shit.”

———————————————————

As far as Michael was concerned, he could be doing worse. There was a certain rush of euphoria one experienced upon learning they didn’t kill their fellow man, something he wouldn’t take for granted again. It took care of the mental anguish surrounding that, at least. The other, slightly more alarming issue at hand involved a half-dead undead creature laying in his bed. Michael watched from across the room, slumped against the wall, hands fisting his own curls as he tried to take a mental step past _David is actually alive._ The figure in bed suggested otherwise, looking twice as pale as he did when he was up and kicking, but other than the two new holes in the center of his chest, David looked calm in his sleep and relatively unbothered. Michael idly wondered if Edgar’s instruction from before would have rang hollow, had he actually buried David and the vampire had crawled back out. To be fair, it was hard to mistake a vampire for being alive or dead given the lack of a heartbeat or breathing to be done. He was grateful David had chosen that moment to announce his vitality and not a few hours later or there might be an angry trail of dirt leading up to his bedroom.

Still, he now had to deal with a nearly mortally-wounded creature of the night that no one else could know about. Sam and his friends would probably fight over who got to deal the actual killing blow this time while his mother would methodically lose her shit and literally kick David out, extremely injured or not. Star might understand, but the thought of seeing her disappointed face would be too much to handle, though disappointment in David for living or Michael for saving him was unclear. Not that Michael _had_ been a savior; he’d just carried David upstairs before anyone else could find him. Besides, Sam didn’t need to be yet another witness of death if he could help it. Hiding the situation aside, his own immeasurable relief at discovering he wasn’t a killer might have been just that, if it hadn’t been for the simple fact that he was happy to see David alive. Guilty as all hell, sure, but the loss of someone who had reached out to him and made an effort to embrace him into a close-knit group when the closest people to him were his family was something he hadn’t wanted to consider. They hadn’t had much time to get past the getting to know you stage, but David had evidently seen something in Michael worth pursuing, even if Michael found it next to impossible to see himself.

Snapping out of his own pity party, he rose from the floor, eyeing the sleeping form warily in case there was a sudden wake up call again. A cursory look around showed that it wouldn’t be a fit environment for David when the sun came up. A few extra blankets gathered from the hallway closet later and Michael was tacking them up over his windows using a combination of thumbtacks and duct tape, sealing off any possible cracks that light could stream through. He clicked the lamp on for a source of light but otherwise left the darkened room alone as he shut the door behind him, hoping everyone hadn’t finished with their tasks just yet. Erring on the side of caution, he went outside and grabbed the shovel from the backyard, taking up some dirt and throwing it on his jeans for good measure before going back inside, bumping straight into his grandfather before anyone else. He did his best not to shrink under the man’s scrutinizing gaze.

“Took care of that problem, huh?” 

“Yeah, gramps. He’s gone.” Michael hoped that would be the end of it though something about the tension in the air between them suggested otherwise. He gripped the shovel tightly, ignoring the wood digging painfully into his palm. Avoiding eye contact completely, he missed the skeptical look he was plastered with, followed by a raised eyebrow. “Sorry about this. It’s all my fault.”

The wise old man seemed unbothered by the apology as he brushed over it completely, heaving a sigh more out of irritation than anything. “Not thrilled about my house being wrecked again, but you ain’t the first to do it. Probably won’t be the last.” He downed half of the bottle of root beer in his hand as he glided past Michael, stopping for a moment as he seemed to have something else to say, but decided against it. “Don’t do anything you’ll regret later, kid.” With that, he left Michael in the room alone, unsure of how he should feel with those final words.

Propping the shovel against the side of the door, Michael turned, interest piqued by a conversation going on between the Frog brothers and Sam in the den. He didn’t reveal himself yet, trying to pick up cues of what their discussion involved.

“I need it for my collection!”

“What collection? This was your first kill!”

“Yeah, I’m starting it right now, starting with this!” Edgar held something up he couldn’t make out from just listening, so he poked his head around the side of the wall. A surprised gasp left his lips at the sight of David’s coat being tossed around between three sets of hands as they all argued for it. Alan had it by a sleeve, Sam was grasping the neck of the coat and Edgar had both fists at the bottom as it was pulled in separate directions. 

“Come on! We should get rid of it, who knows what kind of leftover vampire disease is on it!”

“If you’re just gonna get rid of it, I’m gonna make it a trophy! Did you miss the part where we took out five different vampires, Sam? We need something to celebrate the victory!”

Michael had heard enough. He strode forward, plucking the coat from between the boys and throwing it over his shoulder. “I’ll take it since you guys can’t decide what to do with it,” he offered, ruffling Sam’s hair just to irritate him a bit. “Besides, ‘s more my style anyway.” That and he wasn’t sure how long David and his coat had been partners, but he wasn’t willing to take a chance and find out how that separation would go. 

“Yeah, if your style is creepy cowboy chic with a side of leather,” Sam snorted, batting his older brother’s hand away. “I mean it, Mike. I don’t know what kind of weird vampire ritual they performed on you, but now that it’s over, lose the punk look. It’s still not you.” 

Ignoring the comment, since Sam wasn’t far off the mark anyway, Michael addressed the three boys jointly. “Did you get all of them cleaned up? I’d like to go to bed knowing the house isn’t full of corpses and I’m sure mom would too.”

Sam nodded while the Frog brothers gave matching thumbs up. “Yeah, I’m beat. You guys take off, and thanks for all the help.” Michael watched with a soft fondness as the boys said their goodbyes and soon, it was just him and Sam alone in the den. “I sure would love to be able to sleep in my own bed tonight, but seeing as it’s taken by some girl and a kid, I guess I’ll take the _couch.”_ His voice was his typical whine, though this time there was some sass in it as he continued. “I don’t get why she couldn’t sleep in _your_ bed. She’s your girlfriend.”

Michael finally gave in and rolled his eyes at the comment. “She’s not my girlfriend. Sorry, kiddo, what mom says, goes.” Shoving Sam playfully towards the sofa and laughing when there was a weak retaliation, he pulled a dusty blanket from one of the chairs, believing his grandfather now when he said he hadn’t had company for a number of years. “Go to bed, Sam. You had a busy day and it’ll be even busier tomorrow when we start fixing the house.” A task that he wasn’t looking forward to, but being the strapping young man of the house meant there were lots of heavy pieces of furniture and building supplies in his future.

Sam looked like he meant to protest but ended up poorly stifling a yawn instead. “Yeah, okay. Night, Mike.” His head barely hit the arm of the sofa before he was out, Michael throwing the blanket over him probably the last thing he knew of the waking world. He took one last look at the state of the house, practically in disrepair but knowing that he would need to be the one at the forefront of the rebuilding operation. He decided it was a problem to worry about tomorrow as he made one more stop at the hallway closet, taking one of the last blankets in hand and heading back upstairs, not feeling particularly tired mentally but his body was absolutely fighting exhaustion. Even if he just rested for a few hours, his body would thank him in the morning.

David continued to sleep, the small lamp casting an eerie glow over his normally semi-lucent skin. Michael’s thoughts began to wander, cycling between how terrified the vampire looked as he thought he was dying, the death snarl he had faced Michael with as they were fighting in mid-air, versus how innocent he appeared now. He imagined David had gotten out of a lot of sticky situations with a face like that. He pushed the thought aside, instead figuring out what to do for tonight. The bed was probably big enough for them both, but he had a feeling David wouldn’t be in the mood for cuddling with an injury like that. Biting back a sigh, he pulled David’s boots off so they wouldn’t muss up his bed and put them next to the nightstand before wadding up a discarded shirt of his, fastening it into a makeshift pillow and placing it on the floor. The blanket he’d taken wasn’t big enough for him but he curled it around himself anyway, drawing up his long legs to try and trap in the heat as he relaxed, or tried to as the worries started creeping into his head.

David would wake up again eventually. He wouldn’t know that the rest of his brothers were gone. He would need to feed eventually, too. Michael wasn’t exactly sure how he would react anyway, if he believed Michael had wanted to kill him. Would he be grateful that he was still alive or wish he’d perished along with the others? Did he blame Michael or worse, Sam, for killing his entire family? Would he go after him? These concerns ran rampant through his mind, but not nearly as prevalent as the one that was still plaguing him constantly:

Michael was still a vampire. And he would eventually need to feed, too.


	2. if i crash on the couch, can i sleep in my clothes?

He hadn’t been asleep for more than a few hours before there was a knock on his door, Michael immediately stirring at the sound as he sat up and languidly stretched. “Yeah?”

“Do you want some coffee, honey? Your grandfather is already waiting for everyone,” his mother called through the door. Michael froze, watching the doorknob for any signs of the slightest movement, hoping his mother would somehow miraculously respect his privacy despite a history of doing exactly the opposite. 

“Sure, I’ll be down in a minute,” he answered, making sure to keep his tone as even as possible. His silent prayers seemed to have been answered as he heard nothing further, assuming Lucy had accepted his reply and ventured back downstairs. He let a baited breath out he hadn’t even known he’d been keeping in, jumping nearly out of his still-dirty jeans at the self-satisfied voice behind him.

“Could you make me a cup, too?” David had practically purred, but his tone had a sarcastic current underneath, making the whole thing come off as mildly moody. When Michael turned to face him, he wasn’t sure what feelings he was experiencing, but hesitation was at the top of the list. Like David would fly out of the bed right then and there and continue their fight as if it had never stopped. “It’s the least you could do, you know, since you almost killed me and all.” So he was still bitter about that, but maybe not too much if he was cracking jokes about it. 

Michael couldn’t help himself from quipping back as he stood, shrugging off the dirty jeans for a slightly-cleaner pair. “Don’t act so innocent.” He scoffed, pulling on some sneakers as he regarded the vampire still lounging in his own bed. “And look, you’re not dead after all.” 

“But Max is, isn’t he?” David shot back but there wasn’t a hint of accusation or sadness, for that matter, in the question. At Michael’s nod of confirmation, he let out a groan in disapproval, attention shifting down to his own chest where the two holes protruded, bloody and fairly gnarly-looking. “Figured as much or this would’ve healed by now.” He fell silent, not meeting Michael’s gaze, the tension growing thick enough that it was starting to stifle the only still-technically breathing body in the room. “Guessing the others are dead, too,” David finally continued though his speculation hung in the air, defeated.

Michael swallowed loudly, unsure of how to approach the situation at hand. He could understand both sides of it, knowing Sam and his cohorts had only been protecting themselves from the vampire crew, but it was only after they had staked Marko in the first place. He felt a touch of guilt, realizing retrospectively that he could have put up more of a fight when they’d gone to the hotel or suggested a different plan. One that didn’t involve murder, maybe. “Sorry, David, but I don’t know what you expected. You might not have wanted to kill me, but the others had different plans.”

David’s reply came through gritted, human teeth and Michael supposed he was grateful for that instead of the alternative. “Max told us to get you and your brother on board. You were easy enough, but that little brat? Not so much.” His voice had turned dark. Michael could see the pale blue in his eyes start to shift, yellow barely dancing across his irises, muted as it was from his lack of vampiric strength. “And now I don’t have anyone left, thanks to him and those two idiots.”

“I was only _easy_ because you tricked me! You really think I _chose_ to be like you?” Michael stammered, laughing incredulously at the implication that he would ever want to be a vampire. “The worst part now is you’re alive which means I _am_ still a vampire!” He’d strode around the room as he threw accusations at David but stopped at the door, one hand posed to leave as he stopped to take in the weight of his own words. “I didn’t mean…”

David had attempted to sit up at that point, almost feeling too vulnerable lying stationary as Michael moved around him. The action made him wince as he settled back down, pure malice in his voice as he regarded the other. “I think you wanted to finally fit in somewhere, _Michael_ , and I gave you that chance and what did it get me? Star _told_ you what was in that bottle and you ignored her.” A sardonic smirk creeped over his face as he cocked his head to the side, feigning innocence. “How is it my fault that you can’t appreciate the greatest gift someone could ever hope to get?”

Michael bristled, hand tightening on the knob as he fixed David with a cold glare. “Fuck you,” he spat, throwing the door open and slamming it shut behind him, leaving David alone in the darkened but still dimly-lit by the lamp room. There were a lot of things he wanted to do at the moment - fly downstairs and return the favor to the Emersons that they’d given to his family, have a cigarette or ten, go for a long ride on his bike.

Alone.

Anything was out of the question in his weakened state, David only wanting Max alive at that moment so he could heal himself properly and leave. Where, he wasn’t quite sure, since Santa Carla had been his home for longer than he could remember. But Max was gone and he was at the mercy of Michael, who may or may not have actually wanted him dead so he could return to his pathetic humanity. The situation was bleak and David was tired. There wasn’t much else he could do except stew and eventually fall back to sleep.

———————————————-

It wasn’t the best reunion, Michael thought as he poured himself a cup of coffee, longingly eyeing the cream on the table. The sun flowing in unfiltered through the kitchen windows was already hurting his eyes, making him feel even more tired than he already was, so black coffee would be most effective in keeping him awake. Even if he did hate the taste. He joined Sam at the table, head falling to meet the top of it as he regarded his little brother with a groan.

“Yeah, right. You aren’t getting out of helping us fix the house just ‘cause you’re tired,” Sam warned, popping another Oreo in his mouth. Michael wondered if their grandfather had given him permission or if another death would be occurring later that day. “We aren’t stopping until the pipes are fixed and I can take a bath again without worrying about vampire guts floating up in the water.” The thought seemed to viscerally gross him out, shuddering as he took a sip of his own lighter-brown coffee. 

“Whatever you say, Sammy,” Michael conceded, raising a hand in surrender. The steaming coffee served to warm him somewhat as he finished the cup in one go, already standing to fill it again. Lucy found them both eventually, their grandfather in tow behind her. 

“Okay, gang! We have a lot of work to do, so let’s get started. Michael, you and your grandpa need to go into town and pick up some stuff from the hardware store.” 

He bit back another groan, feeling for his sunglasses in his pocket as he listened to his mother relay the rebuilding operation.

—————————————————

While he had been treated to a day of lumber gathering and multiple cans of paint being picked out, Star and Lucy handled Laddie. He had been quickly returned back home, no questions asked by his family and a hefty reward being given to his bewildered mother. Sam had wanted a chunk of it to go towards ‘filling his closet so there’d be _someone_ in Santa Carla with some style,’ as he’d put it, but Lucy had quickly shut that down, saying that it would go towards fixing the house. Michael hadn’t seen much of Star that day as they had been assigned their respective tasks, but as they all regrouped back home in the evening, she seemed melancholic without the little boy around. Michael caught her outside the kitchen before dinner with a soft hand on her shoulder. “You okay?”

Star had been lost in her own thoughts but snapped out of it quickly, laying her hand gently on top of Michael’s. “He wasn’t with us for very long, but I do miss him,” she lamented, her ever-dreamy voice sounding wispy and far away. “I tried to stop him from taking a sip from that bottle, but he thought it was juice.” She smiled fondly, shaking her head at the memory. “He spit it right back out, but it was too late.”

Michael stared at her, slowly retreating and fixing her with a strange gaze. “Laddie drank from that bottle?” he asked deliberately.

Star nodded. “I did too which is why I was confused when David died. It was supposed to be his blood, but we didn’t turn back until your grandfather took care of Max. It must have been Max’s blood the whole time.”

Something danced underneath Michael’s emotions that felt akin to anger, but he tried not to let it appear that way. “Right. Max’s blood.” He gave a slow nod in return. Star blinked, tilting her head in concern at the sudden change in behavior.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, slightly alarmed.

“Nothing. I’ll be back,” Michael said practically over his shoulder, already flying up the stairs, taking them two and three at a time with his long legs. He hadn’t been back in his room since that early morning, so he was unaware if David had woken up again, but he’d seemed pretty drained during their last fight. Not that he cared. Only enough to wonder when the soonest he was able to get his bed back. It might be that night, if David didn’t explain what the fuck was going on. Michael froze at the door to his room, panic starting to emerge as he smelled smoke. He was sure he’d closed off all the cracks that sunlight could come through, but he started to fear for the worst as the scent grew more potent. The doorknob wasn’t hot as he grabbed it and threw it open, rushing inside with an arm up over his face. “David?!” he yelled, muffled, as he spotted the vampire in question immediately.

“Michael! God, finally,” David exclaimed, throwing the hand not currently holding a cigarette to his lips up in the air in exasperation. He exhaled a long line of smoke, perfectly blowing a few rings out at the end just to show off. “I’m starving.”

“How - what -“ Michael began but halted each time, shoulders tense as he lowered his hand. “Are you crazy? No one knows you’re still alive and you’re smoking in my room?” he yelled, actually flying to the window this time, though just enough to pick himself up off of the floor. “I thought you were on fire!” He lowered his voice a touch as he pulled the tape off of the blanket of a corner of the window and threw it open, airing out the fumes and letting the warmer dusk air inside with a wave of his hand.

David shook his head, a pleased little smile tugging at the corner of his mouth around the cigarette. “Nah, you sealed the joint up pretty well. Thanks for saving my coat.” He toed at the torn overcoat, the pack of cigarettes and a lighter laying on top of it. “Not much else to do while I’m stuck here except smoke, right? Which, again, still starving.”

Michael paused in front of the cracked window as he took a deep breath. “You wanna tell me why Star isn’t a vampire anymore but I still am? We drank from the same bottle.” David could starve if it meant he’d get answers first. 

That seemed to throw him for a loop, the unflappable coolness melting away into something softer, a little mischievous, even. The smile turned into a sheepish grin as David let out a low chuckle. “Uh…” He took another drag before continuing, exhaling even more slowly than the first time. “That. I may have switched Max’s blood out for mine before I gave the bottle to you.”

“May have?” Michael enunciated, fighting an urge to shove the cigarette into the vampire’s eye.

“Definitely did.” David nodded to confirm his words. Michael lost that inner battle as he stormed over, ripping the light from David’s lips and throwing it to the floor, stamping it out.

“Why the hell would you do that?” he demanded as David didn’t falter. If he was annoyed by the interruption, it wasn’t shown on his face as he regarded Michael with the same smug smile.

“You were supposed to join us, Michael. It wouldn’t have mattered if you’d just accepted it.” The pleased expression dropped as he lightly scoffed. “Max turned everyone else. I just finally wanted one person he wouldn’t have control over too.” 

Michael sighed, taking a second to pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration. He was about to retort with a scathing remark but closed his mouth at the sound of his mother downstairs.

“Michael! Dinner!”

He glanced between David and the window, wondering if it was possible for him to fly off in his injured state. David rolled his eyes as if reading his thoughts like an open book. “Go. This is my last one anyway.” He lit the final cigarette and brought it close, falling silent as all of his energy seemed to drain. Michael hesitated but ultimately resigned, stalking away from the open window and towards the door. He felt in his back pocket for its contents before leaving without another word.

——————————————-

Michael didn’t return for an hour or two. David wasn’t exactly sure how long it had been, lost in his own thoughts of what exactly the fuck he was supposed to do now. It had already been a full day since he’d been impaled on those goddamn antlers and Michael had ‘saved’ him. If this was how his life was going to look for the foreseeable future, he was starting to think he’d been better off left to die after all. Nothing against Michael or his luxurious scenic bedroom, but David was more used to crowds, sightseeing, and the crisp night air beneath him, not to mention he was extremely hungry. Which Michael didn’t seem to care about at all. He threw his head back against the wall, sighing in frustration. The whole situation was starting to feel like he was a pet more than anything. Maybe Michael was more the type of predator who liked to torture his kills first. The thought was amusing enough to bring a semblance of a smile to the corner of David’s mouth.

It grew ever so slightly as the door pushed open. Michael’s sneakered foot was all he could see first followed by the rest of his body, hands balancing between a small plastic grocery bag, a stack of what looked like magazines and notebooks, and a tall cup of dark red liquid, though it was only over a little halfway full. He kicked the door closed and dropped the bag and the stack on the ground near the bed before placing the glass on the bedside table. David eyed the bandages around Michael’s hand as he did so, holding back an amused little laugh as he wondered if they were more used out of some form of normalcy Michael was still trying to achieve. Still, he was trying and that was more endearing than the ridicule of it. “For me? How thoughtful. But you know I’m gonna need way more if you want me out of here sooner than later.”

“Despite what you may think, I _am_ a little squeamish,” Michael answered, clipped. “And I do need some of my own blood for my own body.” He repressed a gag crawling up in his throat at the sight of David taking a sip from his own blood. “I’ll try to get you more tomorrow, so I’d enjoy it if I were you.” He reached into the pocket of his leather jacket, fishing inside before throwing a box on the bed. “Make ‘em last.” 

David licked his lips as he set the cup aside, reaching for the new pack of cigarettes. “Don’t make me beg for blood again and maybe I will. What’s in the bag?” he asked, nodding towards the fallen sack. 

Michael retrieved its contents, pulling out a single carton of takeout noodles and a pair of chopsticks. “For old time’s sake,” he mumbled, placing it next to the cup of blood as he sat down next to David. “You gotta teach me that trick.”

The cheeky vampire couldn’t hold back his delight at seeing the food, eyes lighting up with a paler yellow. He might have been hungry for blood too, but there’s no way he’d pass up Chinese food. “Sure, as long as you promise to use it on your brother. Maybe he’ll choke on it.” He dug into the carton, popping a stickful of noodles into his mouth as he looked Michael up and down once. “What?”

“I don’t think I need to tell you if you go after Sam, I will stake the shit out of you,” Michael said on an exhale, clearly exasperated, shaking his head. “Seriously. He’s off limits.” 

David let out a whine but sighed in acceptance. “Fine. No guarantee on his friends, though.” He ate some more of the noodles in silence before holding a bite out for Michael, a teasing smirk playing at his features. “Want some? Completely worm-free. I promise. Stake my heart and hope to die.” 

Michael’s resolve cracked a little and he laughed despite himself, leaning forward to take the bite since David was looking at him expectantly, with _those_ eyes. The kind that made Michael believe he could charm the human out of anyone for miles. The kind that _did_ charm the human out of him. 

Well, halfway.

A comfortable silence came over the pair as Michael rose to shut the window and board it back up for the night. He glanced at the clock on the nightstand, noting the late hour and knowing it was practically breakfast for David. He observed the vampire as he continued to eat, question burning in his head regarding the injury that had put him there. Maybe David would be more pleasant with Chinese food in his stomach. “Does it hurt?” he ventured, plucking one of the cigarettes from the new pack and lighting it, bringing it to his lips. “Shouldn’t you have been healed by now?”

David finished the food off, placing the empty carton next to the glass of half-finished blood. He was quiet for a moment as he considered his words. “It stings, but mostly I’m fucking exhausted,” he explained. “I got my strength from Max being the head vampire. Between him being dead and you not getting me enough blood, the whole healing process is taking double the time it should.” He sounded slightly annoyed by the matter, but Michael could understand why. He plucked the cigarette from Michael’s fingers and inhaled.

“Look, I’m not killing anybody. I can feed you, but only enough that I can keep on living too,” Michael grumbled. “If that means it takes you a little longer to heal, then tough.” His resolve wouldn’t waiver on that front. His relationship with his family was already strained and he had a feeling murder would just dampen it even more.

“What’s _tough_ is laying here with shit all to do while you’re off with your family all day,” David growled, fangs beginning to prick out. Michael could tell but was unfazed by the display. “Why did you even save me if you’re just going to keep me here like a goddamn dog?”

“God, you’re dramatic,” Michael threw back at him. “It’s just for a few days. Even without Max’s blood, you’re still a vampire. You’ll heal soon enough.” David was looking at him expectantly, a scowl on his usually pleasant face looking abnormal. “I saved you because I’m not a killer, David. As much as you want me to be. And I thought…” _We were friends._

The thought seemed to sober David up a bit. It helped that Michael seemed to forget that they still had a telepathic connection. His fangs retreated and he settled back down into the bed, from which he’d lifted himself a full inch off of. “I guess I never thanked you. So…thanks.” It almost sounded sincere, if Michael squinted. He rose from his sitting position and reached for the stack of notebooks and magazines, pulling a few pens and a Walkman and some tapes from the bag too. 

“I figured you’d get bored in here. I don’t know what you and the guys used to do for fun, so I grabbed a few things,” Michael narrated, shuffling between the items. “There’s some magazines if you wanna keep up with the news, paper if you feel like drawing or something...and I had to raid Sam’s collection since I didn’t have much, but there’s some Doors and Motley Crue and stuff in there.” He was referring to the huge poster of Jim Morrison the boys liked to keep up in the cave, but David had a fond smile on at the offering. 

“Paul was more into that stuff than the rest of us,” David reminisced as Michael tried to bite back a laugh at the spitting image of Billy Idol he was talking to. “But it should make the time pass while you’re out.” He gathered the stuff up, stacking it neatly next to him on the other side of the bed. “How bad’s the damage?”

Michael shrugged. “Could be worse,” he lied, but he didn’t want David to feel guilty. If he was even capable of such an emotion. “It’s expensive, but my mom got a reward for getting Laddie back to his folks.” The knowledge that the little boy hadn’t even been turned on purpose, but by accident, and that the guys had simply been taking care of him was amusing. A playful smile of his own was hidden under a teasing question. “Did you have fun babysitting for a while?”

David snorted, going through the cassette tapes provided with the music player, sorting them into two piles. Michael didn’t have the foggiest idea which pile was considered ‘better’: the one containing Madonna and George Michael or the one containing Journey and the Cure. “Yeah, right. I don’t like kids much, but having him around settled Star down. The boys were pretty cute too, taking care of him.” He threw a Queen cassette into the first pile and Michael tried to keep his expression even. 

“So, you and Star…?” he ventured carefully, unsure of how to even finish the query, unsure of what he was even trying to ask. David looked up from his little project, mischief clouding his eyes at Michael’s discomfort. 

“Nothing happened. She’s gorgeous and would be great for luring people in, so I told Max I wanted to turn her, but she never seemed to want this kind of life. I thought throwing you at her would change her mind.” He could sense Michael’s metaphorical feathers being ruffled and continued on quickly. “Until I met you and decided you were worth keeping around.” His gaze returned to the music collection below as he said this, seemingly unaware of the fact that Michael was warming up. 

“So then, you and boys...uh, _the_ boys, I mean.” 

“Orgies every night.” The vampire had said it so matter-of-factly, so nonchalantly that Michael’s face drained of any color it might have had. David barked a laugh at the scene, nudging Michael with his knee. “Ha! Your face. No, Michael, I didn’t have a thing with my boys either. Paul and Marko though, they were always pretty close.” He looked off for a minute, considering if there had indeed been a deeper relationship going on that he hadn’t seen between the two. “Anyway, you meet a lot of people when you’ve been a vampire for so long. Everybody’s fair game when it comes to eating or fucking.” Michael wasn’t shy by any means, but talking about this kind of thing with David, and his _voice_. 

“Okay, I’m beat. I know it’s night and all so I shouldn’t even _be_ tired-“ Michael began, lifting himself from his bed to strip off his jacket and get ready for the night.

David interrupted him, shaking his head. “With me being the head vampire now, and since my body can’t heal itself for shit, that means you’re weaker too until I get my strength back.” It would explain why Michael was able to function during the day without keeling over, though the coffee also helped. “Speaking of, blood is more potent when it’s fresh, and it also tastes better, so next time, you think I could get it straight from the tap?” He asked like he was picking chicken or fish and not talking about drinking Michael’s goddamn blood.

Michael stared at him for a minute, incredulous. “Like, from my neck? How do I know you won’t suck me dry?”

David would have been irritated at the implication if the delight on his face wasn’t so evident at Michael’s fears, or his choice of words, considering their previous conversation. “I’ve been around for decades, Michael. I think I know how much to take from someone without killing them.” He shrugged, waving a hand in his host’s general direction. “Your neck, wrist, whatever’s good with me as long as it’s not in a cup. You know, you might actually like it.” He’d mused this casually, like they were discussing movie or dinner plans and not Michael’s life source being toyed with.

The thought of arguing further already made Michael even more tired and he waved a hand in surrender. “Yeah, fine. I’m sure I’ll love it.” He fell face down onto his makeshift bed consisting of the one blanket on the floor, exhaling loudly. “Whatever gets you out of my bed faster.”

He didn’t see the skepticism present on David’s face before he passed out, nor did he hear the whispered _can’t wait._


	3. 'cause i spent the night dancing, i'm drunk i suppose

Michael woke up on his own early the next morning, glad that he didn’t have to worry about Lucy knocking on his door and potentially walking in again. He rolled over, lifting his head to check on David, who was fast asleep. It would have been a cute scene, mouth hanging slightly open and his hands folded on his chest rather than crossed like he assumed vampires usually slept, if he wasn’t wearing the headphones and holding the Walkman which was now most assuredly dead. Michael groaned in frustration as he made a mental note to scold his bed guest later on about not leaving the music player on all night and how batteries don’t grow on trees. He hoped David would sleep the whole day so he wouldn’t have to worry about it until that night.

He clicked on his table lamp so he could change, despite the sun just barely starting to show outside, as it was nearly still pitch black in his room. Not completely dark, but enough that David shouldn’t burst into flames anytime soon. He grabbed the empty cup of blood from the table, considering how he could possibly be okay with feeding someone from his wrist and how he’d have to get on board before nightfall. Cup in hand, he stepped outside his bedroom, just closing the door behind him as he bumped almost headfirst into Star. 

“You’re up early,” she said in way of a greeting. Noticing the bandages still wrapped around his hand, she reached for it gingerly. “What happened?”

Michael dodged the contact as he slipped his hand into his pocket. “Nothing, just, banged it against the wall, that’s all,” he answered cooly. “What are you doing up?”

Star lingered for a moment, staring at the empty space between them before shaking her head lightly. “I was going to ask your mother if she could give me a ride to the hotel so I could pick up some clothes,” she explained, tucking an errant piece of hair behind her ear. “But if you wouldn’t mind instead…” She trailed off as Michael considered it. He could grab some extra clothes - if vampires even _kept_ extra clothing - for David and take a look around and see if there was anything else that could keep him amused for a while.

“Sure, if they haven’t started fixing the house yet, we can go,” he agreed, thankful that it was still barely sunrise so it wouldn’t be as bright. “Let me get my keys.” 

Sunglasses and keys in hand, the two set off for the underground relic, Star holding onto Michael as his bike ripped across the coast. It felt surreal coming back, the emptiness of the hotel feeling off. He almost expected to hear the hoots and laughter of the other boys coming from down under. Nothing there was alive save for a few pigeons nestled up by the entrance, scattering as they made their way inside but falling peacefully back into formation. Star headed for the makeshift bedroom, pulling some clothes out for herself while Michael wandered around the main part. Nearing David’s designated spot, a wheelchair, of all things, he cleared the chest off of the bottles and candles, curious about its contents. It opened with a puff of dust that Michael fanned away, sticking a hand inside to rifle through. A few dirty magazines, some empty packets of cigarettes, even a few bottles of hair gel. That didn’t surprise him much. Lifting the magazines, a few smaller items fell out that he recognized were Polaroids, a good number being of the guys themselves on various occasions, but a few snapshots of what was probably Santa Carla at night, too. A well-worn dark blue denim jacket was underneath the pile and pushing it aside revealed a Polaroid Sun in fairly rough shape, but it looked like it still worked. The price tag was still attached to it which was arguably the least surprising thing about the entire matter. 

Carefully placing the pictures inside of the pockets of the jacket, he folded it up, sticking it under his arm as he lifted the camera and placed its strap around his neck. It should be fine on the ride back, if he avoided the bumps and holes on the way. Grabbing another leather jacket from its place on the floor, god knowing which one of the boys it actually belonged to, he wrapped the whole thing around the denim jacket to produce a ball of clothes. Star called out that she was ready and he rejoined her as she took a last look around.

“I guess this place is kind of cool,” she mused with a smile that suggested she believed the exact opposite. Turning to exit, she noticed the newly found camera around Michael’s neck and the jacket in his hands. “What’s that stuff for?”

He shrugged, not about to indicate the actual reason why he was helping himself to the other guys’ belongings. “They can’t use it anymore, right?” he asked, nodding his head to the waiting staircase. “Let’s go before we miss the coffee and Sam gets all of it.” 

The ride home was marginally smoother than on the way there, Michael taking extra care to protect the camera while he’d tucked the jackets securely onto his lap. The sun was higher in the sky as they pulled up into the driveway. He took a quick detour to drop off the Polaroid and the clothes in his room before joining his family in the kitchen, having breakfast.

“We’re doing good, guys! I’d say there’s only a few more days left on the house before it gets back to normal,” Lucy encouraged, prompting twin sets of grumblings from her sons. “I know it hasn’t been easy, but thanks for all your help, boys.” She hugged them both around the neck, placing two sets of kisses on their cheeks, earning more grumbling. “Okay, let’s get to work.”

——————————————

Early evening rolled around again and Michael trudged his way back upstairs, arms sore from all of the heavy lifting of the day. He stopped by the linen closet to gather a new set of sheets before entering his room, clicking on the light. David looked up from whatever he was working on, his bedside clock’s radio tuned to some hit station playing quietly next to him. So he’d figured out how to use that, at least. He eyed the new sheets with a raised eyebrow. “What’s that for?”

Michael reached into his dresser and picked out a plain grey shirt before he set it and the sheets down on the floor as he approached the bed. “I’m changing the sheets since you’ve kinda been bleeding on them the last few days,” he explained. “And you’re also getting out of that shirt and jacket since it’s got holes in ‘em.” 

David opened his mouth to protest but seeing that Michael didn’t look like he was going to budge on the matter, he finally gave in and shrugged out of his leather jacket with minimum discomfort. His black long sleeve was a little tougher as he tried to raise his pale arms to pull it off, hissing in pain. Michael showed a hint of hesitation before he stepped closer, hands raised. “Need some help?”

The look David plastered him with showed annoyance, but his response said a different story. “If you insist,” he conceded, stretching as comfortably as he could to assist. Michael lifted the top carefully over his head and tossed it with the holey jacket, gathering up both and placing them with the rest of his laundry. When he turned back around, he found David poking at the still-open wounds on his chest, wincing but ultimately looking fascinated. “Can’t remember the last time I actually bled,” he voiced. The injury looked like it was healing somewhat, though Michael didn’t exactly want to have to do this whole process again any time soon.

“Hang on. I’m patching you up,” he decided as he stepped into the attached bathroom, digging around for a first aid kit. He could hear David groan even in the next room over and he rolled his eyes. Locating the kit, he set it down on the bed as he rifled through it, pulling out hydrogen peroxide spray and some bandages.

“Michael, I’m a _vampire_. I don’t _need_ to be ‘patched up’,” David mocked, ending in an irritated sigh. “For god’s sake.”

As he popped the cap off of the spray, Michael didn’t answer but just directed it at the holes on the front first, trying his hardest to bite back a satisfied grin at the yelp David produced as he did so. He waited for it to bubble up a bit before doing the same to his back, unraveling the roll of gauze and beginning to wrap it around David’s upper chest. “I don’t care what you are. You’re not bleeding on all of my sheets,” he deadpanned. “You may not be human, but it’s not gonna hurt to try this stuff.” And if he got some amusement from seeing David look vulnerable for the first time since he’d met him, that was just a bonus. He put everything back in the first aid kit and went to return it to the bathroom.

When he came back, he found the vampire leaning against the wall again, lit cigarette hanging from his mouth as his arms were crossed against his bare stomach. Michael tried not to notice how his leather pants clung to his lithe form, hanging just above his hips at an angle that he could barely glimpse the two lines peeking out from the top. The image was quite the one to see. David looked over to see Michael’s jaw set and his eyes starting to glaze over. His light chuckle was enough to pull his host’s attention back from wherever it was straying towards. “See something you like, Michael?” he teased in a purr, exhaling smoke as he did so. He decided not to delve into the other’s head at the moment to find what he was thinking.

“Are all vampires as vain as you?” Michael deflected, casting his eyes away so he could focus instead on getting the sheets ready. He hadn’t meant it in a biting way, but it was better than answering David’s question directly and confirming his observation. “I need you to get up for a minute so I can switch these out. Can you do that?”

David’s expression was one of pure self-satisfaction, looking as if he was the cat who had caught the canary. Without a word, he hovered a good few inches off of the bed and drifted to the side, leaving enough room for Michael to do what he needed to. “Knock yourself out.”

Michael supposed it was a good thing if he still had enough vampiric power to fly, at least. He made the switch as quickly as he could, bunching the old sheets up and tossing those with the laundry as well. He’d definitely need to offer to do it this week for his mother or she might have some questions. Plucking the clean shirt up from the ground, he waited for David to settle back down on the bed before helping him into it, a subtle smile growing at how plain it looked on the immortal creature.

“I’ll be back after dinner. Oh, here,” Michael said, digging into one of his dresser drawers. “Some more batteries for the Walkman. Try not to leave it on again all night, okay?” He set the batteries down as David gave him a two finger salute.

“As you wish.”

————————————————

Dinner passed without a hitch, Michael listening as Sam recounted his tale of seeing two more possible bloodsuckers on the boardwalk that afternoon, despite it still being daylight out. “They wore way too much leather to be anything _but_ vampires,” he asserted, shoving chicken in his mouth as he did so. His older brother had snorted in amusement, ruffling his baby sibling’s hair fondly.

“Don’t harass the day walkers, Sam.”

After saying goodnight to his family and Star, Michael took the stairs a little slower, rubbing at the inside of his wrist nervously. He figured it would hurt somewhat, having a pair of teeth in it and having his blood sucked, but David had mentioned he might like it. Whether that was more asshole teasing or a way to get him to warm up to the idea remained to be seen. When he entered his bedroom again, he saw David wearing not the leather jacket he had picked up at the hotel, but the dark denim one instead. The photographs inside were lying scattered in front of him as he cradled the Polaroid in his lap.

“You went to the hotel and looked through my stuff?” David asked, not looking up as his attention was focused on the smiling faces of his friends gazing back up at him. “I’d probably be pissed if I wasn’t so glad to have these before something happened to them.” 

Michael breathed a soundless sigh of relief, not planning on David finding the stuff so soon but he must have floated around the room while he was downstairs and found the pile. “Sorry, Star wanted to go back to get her stuff and I figured you might want your own clothes, but I couldn’t find much anyway, so I looked in the chest and found that,” he explained. “I didn’t even know vampires could appear on film.”

David let out a single laugh, shaking his head. “Just mirrors. They’re supposed to be a reflection of your soul,” he explained. “A camera’s just a camera. We don’t show up very well, but we do show up.” He held up a blurry photo of himself and the guys one Halloween night, dressed like pirates. “1972.” He went through a couple more, accidentally revealing another group shot of them though they were all rather scantily-clad and wearing various forms of fishnets. Michael reached for it immediately, a huge smile on his face.

“Let me guess, 1975?”

David snatched it back almost as quickly, though there was an amused glint in his eye. “That’s enough picture sharing.” He pushed the remaining photos back into a pocket in the jacket and put the camera aside. 

“I would have thought you’d pick the leather one,” Michael ventured, nodding at the one next to the bed. 

David shrugged as he looked down over the denim one he’d chosen instead, holding his arms out slightly. “I used to wear this one before the other three came along,” he informed. “They actually had better fashion sense than I did, so if you’re gonna lead a group, you need to look the part.” He cast a side look at the leather jacket. “I think that one is Dwayne’s anyway.”

Michael hastened to change the subject, lest the conversation turn melancholic. “So, uh. You hungry?” he asked, taking one arm out of the sleeve of his own jacket so there would be better access to his wrist. He still wasn’t looking forward to it by any means, but he was sure David wanted to heal sooner rather than later and if it meant getting his blood fix straight from the source, Michael could tough it out.

There was no need for David to dive into Michael’s thoughts to tell that he was a nervous wreck right now. He hadn’t been expecting Michael to actually let him drink right from his wrist and while he could tease him, he was also grateful for the opportunity at all. “Yeah, but uh...you gonna be okay?” he asked with an air of genuine concern, reaching out a hand to steady Michael by his shoulder. “Looks like you might pass out.”

Michael shook his head, steeling himself. “I’ll be fine. Just try to be gentle,” he requested, lifting his wrist to the vampire’s mouth level, closing his eyes and looking away.

David bit his lip, moving his hand from Michael’s shoulder to hold his wrist instead, his other hand joining it. His features shifted, eyes refocusing to yellow as his fangs descended, lifting the waiting wrist to his mouth. He could clearly feel the heartbeat pounding away just directly underneath its surface and he breathed soft words against it. “Relax, Michael.”

Instantly, his muscles began to feel less tense, other hand unclenching from where it was gripping the side of the bed. He half wondered if it was the same kind of mental manipulation David had used on him before or if it was just his own confidence that was able to calm Michael down. He was still hyper aware of the situation, so when he felt two pricks right in the center of his wrist, he jumped with a start. He felt more pressure than anything but remained frozen in place, weary of what would happen if he tried to break their connection right now.

A few more moments passed and he began to feel light headed, not because of the blood loss but because he felt when David started sucking, the point where his wrist and the vampire’s mouth connected beginning to pulse. It was a bit painful and his teeth clenched in a hiss at the sensation, but as the pulse grew stronger into an outright throb, he couldn’t help his curiosity, sneaking a peek at the scene unfolding next to him.

Michael’s breath left his body in a sudden exhale at the sight, any lingering pain mixing into something much more pleasurable as he watched this beautifully horrific creature feed from him. He couldn’t quite place what his emotions were doing, how this was affecting his psyche, and it was all more overwhelming than he was counting on. Razor-thin waves of arousal started to make their way all throughout his body, aftershocks of pain on their tail. All he could do at the moment was wait with baited breath until David was done.

What could have been seconds or an eternity more later, David pricked the tip of his tongue on his own fang, still not used to the feeling after decades of utilizing it. He lapped a bit of his own blood across the two pinpoints on Michael’s wrist, the holes disappearing cleanly. When it was clear his host wouldn’t be taking his own hand back, David returned it to his lap. His fangs retracted and eyes turned back to their normal bluish color as he swept a thumb across his own lips to catch any blood he might have missed. Seeing Michael’s unreadable expression, he raised a brow. “Wasn’t so bad, right?”

Michael had to physically shake himself before he rejoined the conversation. The last thing he coherently remembered was David’s tongue swiping across the pulsing pressure point of his wrist and then he must have checked out mentally for a few good seconds there. “Right,” he agreed like he hadn’t been breathing as if he’d just run a mile beforehand. “Awkward, but not...bad.” 

David hummed in agreement. “Always is, the first time. You’re pretty tasty, though. It was kind of hard to stop.” He’d said it so flippantly that Michael thought it was a joke, forcing a laugh that he hoped sounded natural and not like he was coming down from a high. 

“Thanks, I guess. I’m pretty tired so, I’ll just. Be heading to bed now.” His clipped speech struck David as odd, but he shrugged anyway, gathering the notebooks and pens he had stacked next to him along with the Walkman. 

“Night. Thanks for the meal.” 

As Michael got ready for bed, David considered the whole situation. It was obvious to him how Michael had felt, as that was how any human responded to a vampire feeding from them, whether they were only half-human or not. He wasn’t about to lie and say he didn’t enjoy seeing Michael completely flustered by his new emotions, finding the whole display delightful. Whatever emotions he had felt beforehand, lust, intrigue, plain and simple curiosity for this boy, had felt one-sided and hopeless. What he’d seen tonight, however, might have been the glimmer of hope he had been waiting for. He would just need to get a little more intimate next time and hoped Michael would respond accordingly.

\------------------------------

“Earth to Mike!”

Michael refocused his listless gaze on his brother who was fixing him with an irritated stare. He’d already stirred his coffee more than he needed to, considering it was black, so he put the spoon down on the table and rubbed at his aching eyes. “What, Sammy?” he asked, tiredness evident in his voice.

“I’ve been trying to tell you what mom told us to work on today,” Sam explained in his usual whine. “She said to retile our bathroom and get the place scrubbed down.” He shoveled another bite of cereal into his mouth as he flipped through whatever new comic he was currently engrossed in. “What’s got you so distracted already today?”

The eldest groaned as he leaned his head back, stifling a yawn. “The fact that I have to spend the whole day fixing the bathroom with _you_ ,” he retaliated teasingly, reaching forward to close Sam’s comic book with a flip of his hand, jumping up from the table at the youth’s ‘hey!’ and running off. Maybe a few early morning antics with Sam would wake him up enough to last the entire day. He had a feeling it had less to do with David feeding from his last night and more to do with the fact that the vampire was regaining his strength. The thought made Michael a bit paranoid about the fact that they’d be spending the entire day in a room with two mirrors that Sam could easily catch his reflection in which, despite it being more apparent now that David was still healing, he was still somewhat wispy. He made sure to clean both the mirrors before covering them up with towels tacked on top while Sam was still finishing his breakfast, making sure the door to his room was locked from his bathroom door’s side lest Sam or David stumble upon each other.

When the two siblings entered the bathroom together, Sam noticed the mirrors covered up and jabbed a thumb at them. “What gives?”

Michael deflected the question as cooly as possible. “I already cleaned them and didn’t want them to get dusty,” he explained, dropping the supplies they needed on the ground and rolling his sleeves up. 

“Yeah, good idea. Wouldn’t want ‘em to break from your ugliness,” Sam said on the end of a laugh, placing the cleaning supplies down as well. Michael grabbed a washcloth and threw it at his brother’s head, ducking when Sam retaliated with a wet sponge.

The task got accomplished without interruption, save for Michael yawning way more than usual, but he had to appreciate how the bathroom looked after it was all fixed up. He and Sam gathered up their supplies and returned downstairs, earning the approval of Lucy who was just proud to see her sons working together. She gave them the rest of the day off and Michael went upstairs immediately to nap the rest of the afternoon away next to a still-asleep David. Waking again just before early evening, he went back downstairs to have dinner with his family.

His thoughts were full of the vampire upstairs, of how feeding him later that night would go compared to the previous night. Would it be worse or better, now that he knew what to expect? His body seemed to overtake whatever emotions he had felt at the time; would he be in better control of it this time? 

Did he want to be?

“Michael?” Star was calling to him, reaching a hand out to set it on his shoulder. “Are you doing okay?”

He nodded absentmindedly, shrugging her hand off as he sat up straighter at the table. His mother was saying something to him, but he only caught the very end of it.

“-touched your food. Do you feel alright?” Lucy asked with the concern of a parent worried that their child could be sick. Sam shook his head, swallowing his huge bite of food before pointing his fork at Michael.

“I tell ya, he’s been like this all day! Thinks he’s too cool to tell us what’s bugging him.”

Lucy looked alarmed at the information, her attention focused back on her oldest. “If something’s the matter, you can tell us, honey.”

Michael finally put his fork down and rose from the table, chair scraping across the floor. “I’m fine, just drop it, okay?” he snapped, leaving the kitchen and climbing the stairs with heavy, irritated steps. He slammed the door to his room, spooking a surprised David as he looked up sharply from his notebook.

“Jeez, morning to you, too,” he greeted tersely, pulling the headphones off and setting them on the bedside table. “Family drama?”

Michael stood with his hand on the doorknob still, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “No, I’m just distracted,” he vented, sighing loudly as he stepped away. “Been tired all day and just...thinking.” 

“About?” David prompted.

“Feeding you tonight,” Michael answered, feeling almost embarrassed to say it. “It hurt a bit last night. Isn’t there any other way so it hurts less this time?” He was clearly lying, but it sounded better than asking ‘ _why the hell did it feel so good?’_ David didn’t need to use their mental connection to figure that one out, though.

David feigned pondering it for a moment before giving him a one-shouldered shrug. “It’ll hurt less from your neck.” The skeptical look Michael fixed him with only served to put a small smile on his face. “Believe it or not, but it will.”

Michael dropped to the bed, taking a deep breath to center himself. “You’re expecting me to just give you my neck? That you could easily snap, or drain me dry?” He knew he was being paranoid, but the thought still lingered after everything that had happened, and knowing what David was capable of. “Considering what went down a few days ago, how am I supposed to trust you?” He refused to meet David’s eye as he asked it, his back towards the vampire as he looked off to the side.

David bristled somewhat, but could understand Michael’s trepidation. He sat up from his leaning position, barely covering Michael’s hand with one of his own. “Michael, if I wanted you dead, you’d have been dead by now and my family would still be alive.” He drew his hand back, giving any space that was needed. “You gotta trust me here when I say you were never on the menu.” He waited for a beat before adding an addendum. “Well, not fatally, anyway.”

Michael remained not completely certain of what he was leaning towards deciding and David sighed. “Look, you don’t have to do this. But I promise it’ll hurt less coming from your neck and I’ll stop if you tell me to. Deal?” 

It was probably the most genuine he’d seen David be yet, stripped of his leather and his intimidating black coat and gloves and his posse by his side. He seemed almost…tempting.

“Fine. Let’s do it.” It couldn’t be any worse than getting his blood sucked through his wrist, and maybe with David so close this time that he would barely be able to see him, he wouldn’t be so fucking distracting. 

David found it a nearly impossible feat to hide his excitement as Michael agreed, shrugging out of his jacket so he could move a little more freely. Michael removed his own jacket for better access, ignoring how losing it felt like losing his safety net. David took hold of him, gripping both shoulders as he spoke directly into his ear. “Now, it won’t hurt, but you have to stay still. You can’t jerk or pull away suddenly. Think you can handle that?”

Michael was already entranced, nodding in lieu of actually having to open his mouth and speak. David caught the movement and bit the inside of his cheek to keep the grin off of his face. Eyes turning color and fangs lowering once more, the vampire moved his head an inch lower to Michael’s neck. He hesitated for just a moment before biting down, feeling the involuntary seize of Michael’s body in his grasp but it went slack a second later as he relaxed. He didn’t give much time for acclimation, figuring that taking any longer than usual would frighten Michael a bit. He started sucking not much time after, trying not to let go himself on how good Michael’s blood tasted.

To David’s credit, he was right in that it didn’t hurt, but so completely goddamn wrong about it not being worse. His cold breath on Michael’s neck was as exciting as it was confusing, since he figured vampires didn’t need to breathe, but he wasn’t about to complain. The grip David had on him was solid and completely necessary as he simply felt like he wanted to melt. The light sucking coupled with the trace of David’s stubble against his neck was enough to elicit an involuntary moan from Michael as he tipped his head to the side as far as he could to give even more access.

Michael had no qualms about how much David could take from him at that moment, nearly falling under a sort of spell. It felt so good that he could feel his own fangs starting to try and poke out, mouth hanging open in a silent plea - for what, he wasn’t exactly sure. It took every ounce of power inside of him to not pull away, but if this kept up for much longer, he was going to pry David off of his neck himself and attack his own. The thought made him shut his eyes tightly and when they opened again, he could see yellow and red tinted at the edge of his vision, breathing coming way too hard.

David finally pulled himself away from Michael’s neck, hovering there so he could lick the wound closed with his own blood, tongue lapping against the skin for slightly longer than he actually needed to. When he leaned back far enough to actually be in Michael’s line of sight again, he took in the vampiric change with a clipped, manic laugh. “Told you it’d feel better, didn’t I?” he breathed, not letting go of Michael’s shoulders for anything just yet.

Michael was staring at him intently, eyes just starting to turn back to their normal icy blue, but his gaze was focused on David’s lips. A few drops of Michael’s blood remained there that he hadn’t licked up quite yet. Fascinated, he reached up with a free hand, swiping his own blood off of those reddened lips with his thumb and placing it in his mouth, tongue swirling around the metallic taste of it.

If David’s feelings for the half vampire were muted before, they were in overdrive now. The sight of Michael tasting his own blood straight off of David’s lips was enough to blow his pupils wide, fangs rescinding on their own as his eyes returned to their usual color as well, overtaken by pure, unprecedented longing to be where Michael’s thumb had ventured. 

Neither could be certain of who moved first, but the kiss that followed was nothing short of hungry, slow, and full of curiosity. David’s grip on Michael’s shoulders remained steadfast as Michael reached up, a hand curling around David’s cheek and fingers straying into his surprisingly soft hair. They kissed until Michael had licked David’s mouth clean of his own blood, grateful no fangs were involved lest his tongue get poked in the process. When Michael broke apart to breathe down several gulps of air, David released him, looking equal parts debauched and satisfied. Michael imagined he didn’t fare much better.

“What - how do you bite my neck to suck my blood and we end up making out?” he wondered out loud between gasps of air and bouts of incredulous laughter. 

David joined in with his own bursts of laughter, shaking his head. “Feeding is extremely sensual, Michael. Affects everyone differently, but the result is usually about the same.” His telling grin as his eyes traveled down Michael’s body had Michael covering up immediately, arousal obviously still present underneath the blanket he’d thrown on top of his midsection.

Any further discussion was halted by a knock on his door, Michael nearly white as a sheet as he answered with a shaky “What?”

“Mike, mom told me to make sure you know it’s your night to do the dishes,” Sam called through the door.

He covered half of his room in two sprints when he heard the doorknob jiggle, meeting Sam outside before he could walk in and quite literally see Michael’s shame. “Okay, Sammy, I’m coming.” He physically turned his little brother around, pushing him away from his bedroom door as he closed it shut behind him.

With a full stomach and a memorable conversation to look forward to when Michael returned, David leaned back against the wall again, propping the notebook up on his knees as he continued to sketch out what was clearly a mop of curls on top of a bust of Michael from a three-quarter view. A permanent smile was stuck on his face as he considered the thought that if this kept up, he’d be healed in a matter of days and if he was lucky, he’d still be invited to share Michael’s bed with him in the same amount of time.

—————————————————-

Thankfully, the rest of his family had cleared out of the kitchen as Michael washed the dishes, albeit uncomfortably as all hell. He knew he’d need to apologize at some point, but at the moment, his thoughts were more than a little occupied. He should have kept feeding David the safe way, through no direct contact. He shouldn’t have even bothered with the vampire in the first place - his life would be perfectly normal right now and he wouldn’t be thinking about how his blood tasted sweeter on David’s tongue. How like a switch, his arousal had been flipped permanently on, making the thought of returning upstairs with such an obvious problem out of the question. Climbing the stairs and slipping into the newly renovated bathroom, Michael closed his eyes, breathing out evenly until he regained control of himself.

He removed the towels from the mirrors and stared at himself, reflection a great deal lighter than it had been that morning. Whatever latent vampiric qualities of his had been dormant before were starting to re-surface. This coupled with the new-found, conflicting feelings for David was just a bit too much for him to handle. Dropping his head, he exhaled a few shaky breaths as he stood over the sink, hand trembling as it found the zipper on his pants. _Just a quick one. Just to clear my head_. If relieving himself meant saving himself from hearing David’s teasing tone about the situation later, that was just a bonus. Unless he offered to do something about it, that is.

The thought of the vampire’s hand where his own was now made Michael’s head dizzy, idle thoughts swirling into a hazy picture of what he actually desired. He’d fantasized before, but it was nothing like this, like David was there to fan his twisted fantasies and make them feel extremely real. David’s voice was in his head, clear as day, and Michael’s next coherent thought echoed with that smug, self-satisfied voice he knew all too well.

_Nobody has to know._

Michael’s grip on himself tightened as he braced against the sink. He bit down on his bottom lip, muting every noise that threatened to spill forth, his brother on one side of the door and the object of his current desire on the other. Flashes of David on his knees, mouth open wide with his fangs glistening, wearing nothing but his coat all flitted through Michael’s head unbidden. God, but he really didn’t need much fodder anyway, the sensation of razor sharp teeth and closely-shaved stubble on his neck still feeling fresh in his mind being the kicker as he finished, panting soundlessly towards the ground.

It took him more than a good minute to finally find his bearings again, cleaning himself up and throwing away any evidence of what he’d just done. His mind was clearer, at least, clear enough to face David now that a pressing issue was no longer so pressing. When he re-entered his bedroom, he spotted his bed guest looking more innocent than he had any right to be, considering he had just starred center-stage in Michael’s dirty fantasies.

David glanced over as he heard the door open, smile sliding across his face easily as it usually did. “Hope tonight didn’t freak you out _too_ much,” he greeted, though he didn’t sound too genuinely concerned at the possibility. “Guess I should have warned you. But I did say you might like it.”

Michael kept his voice even, lest any wavering hint at the opposite of what he was trying to convince himself of. “It’s fine. It felt…nice?”

David couldn’t help the bark of laughter at the observation. “Nice? Michael, you were sporting some serious wood there.” He put aside the notebook he was doodling in, closing it firmly as he sucked in a breath. “I’d say it felt way more than just _nice_.”

There was an urge to retaliate, but the question burning at the front of Michael’s mind overtook any childish rebuttal he wanted to throw back at David. “If you knew that was going to happen, why’d you even suggest it?” he ventured instead, finally turning to face David directly rather than continue giving him his back.

David clearly hadn’t been expecting the question, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise as he was caught off guard. Well, honesty should be the best policy, he supposed and Michael had been taking such good care of him that maybe he deserved an ego boost. “Come on, you’re not that dense, are you?” 

Or maybe he didn’t. David sighed, waving his hand as if to shoo his previous thought away. “That’s not what I meant. What I mean is.” Immortal or not, he thought that this moment would be a pretty good one to die right then and there. Michael had joined him on the bed and was watching him expectantly, and if it hadn’t been for those damn soulful eyes and pouty lips, he wouldn’t even _be_ in this situation right now. “You’re the first challenge I’ve seen come through here in a long time, Michael. I knew I’d regret it forever if I just let you slip away.” 

“You’re into me because you think I’m a challenge?” Michael reiterated, equal parts confused and flattered. It was a hundred percent worth it to _act_ like he didn’t know what was going on just to see the undead creature of the night flustered beyond all belief. Let him be - Michael needed time to figure this shit out for himself anyway. 

“When’s the last time you think someone was able to punch me in the face and they lived to see the next day?” David asked him, haughtiness still ever present but clearly talking about his feelings was very much what he did not want to be doing. He shrugged like they were talking about anything else except his little crush on the half vampire. “You’re special, I guess. And call me crazy, but I’d say you have some pretty conflicting feelings for me, too. Thought I’d make them clear to you and fill my stomach at the same time.”

As irritating as it was, and the smirk on David’s face made it even _more_ irritating, he did have a point. And it wasn’t as if that wasn’t the hottest fucking thing Michael had done in his short existence - it was, and that was the most frustrating part. If that’s how it had felt with David feeding from him, he couldn’t fathom how it would be the other way around. Not that he was thinking about feeding from anyone else - he couldn’t become a full vampire. It was completely out of the question.

“So what now?” Michael chose instead as the current question at hand. “Say I keep feeding you until you’re fully healed. Then what?”

“Then I’d probably ask you to join me again,” David answered honestly.

Michael swallowed hard. “You still want me around even after everything that happened?”

David didn’t hesitate. “It’s not like I have anyone else to go back to.”

He found it an impossible feat to not feel... _something_ for David. What exactly that emotion was was still a cloudy mystery to him, but whether or not he was being played right now, emotionally manipulated so that he’d feel bad for a killer…it was working. Fucking David and his sultry voice and his shit-eating grin that Michael didn’t know whether he wanted to hit or kiss again. Presently, he was leaning towards the second, and towards David himself again, like a goddamn magnet. He’d barely realized as much until their lips touched for the second time that night, more restraint than the first time but still just as passionate. 

Michael realized this was probably the most vulnerable anyone had ever seen David and he felt pride at the thought. David, who’d strutted around Santa Carla like he didn’t care whether he lived or died, didn’t care who he pissed off or made fall in love with him, and had come close enough to death that Michael hoped he would care somewhat about his life and well-being now. As well as a vampire could get, anyway. He’d had his family stripped away from him and whether or not it was his own fault, Michael didn’t think he deserved to face it on his own.

He got the feeling that he’d probably be the one to end their kisses, what with David not actually needing to breathe. He wondered if that was convenient in regards to other aspects, too, breaking the kiss with redder than usual cheeks, trying to catch his breath. David was laughing, a beautiful, sonorous tone in his ear and his own laughter mixed with it. “What?” Michael asked in between bouts of giggles. 

“If that’d happened sooner, I wouldn’t be lying here in your bed with twin fucking holes in my chest,” David lamented, though it didn’t sound like he was terribly upset. “But guess I can’t complain. Not when you’re sitting here swapping saliva with me when you could be anywhere else instead.” 

Michael ran a hand through his hair, a groan escaping at the end of a longer sigh. “Look, David, I don’t know if it’s your damn vampire charm or something -“

“Glamor.”

“- _whatever_ it could be, but you’re right. I decided you were worth saving for some reason, didn’t I?” he mused, sheepish grin spreading across his boyish features. “I’m not exactly sure what that reason is yet, but...maybe I’d like to try and find out.” 

It was the closest thing David was probably going to get to an admission of reciprocal feelings from Michael for now and he was okay with that. More than okay, if it meant he’d get to explore Michael’s mouth a little more, or his neck, or his chest…

He was damn lucky Michael still wasn’t aware that they shared a mental connection or he was sure he’d be making him blush like mad by now.


	4. you're the one that i need, i'm the one that you loathe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: implied homophobia

Michael had evidently fallen asleep at some point, but he’d woken up more comfortable than he had in the last few days. When he realized why, he couldn’t even be too upset; sharing his own bed with David was a much better alternative than having to sleep on the floor again. It was a tight fit, but they’d apparently made it work somehow, if the body currently curled into his side was something to go by. There was a bit of pain in his neck from falling asleep slumped against the wall, but it meant he got to wake up and see David with an arm thrown across Michael’s chest and that made it completely worth it. Looking across his bedside table, he saw that it was already nearing noon and no one had knocked on his door yet that morning. The thought startled him a bit and he got up as quickly as he could without disturbing the sleeping vampire. Heading downstairs, he flitted from room to room until he came across Star in the kitchen, making herself a cup of tea.

“Star? Where is everyone?” he asked groggily, covering his eyes from the direct sunlight filtering in through the window. “Why didn’t anyone get me up?”

She sat at the table with her mug, blowing on it softly to cool it down. “Your mom and Sam decided to let you sleep in today. They said you’ve been exhausted since you all started fixing up the house,” she informed him, though there was a hint of skepticism in her voice that he couldn’t quite ignore fully. “Is that all it is, Michael? We’re all kind of...worried about you.”

Michael shrugged, nonchalantly shaking his head as he looked off to the side. “Why? I’m fine.”

Star looked unconvinced as she regarded him with an expression full of concern. “Something’s been on your mind the last couple of days. Please, Michael, I’m sure I can help you if you just let me in.” Her voice was pleading, enough that it made Michael feel guilty for trying to brush her fears aside. It wasn’t as if she was wrong.

Michael was saved from having to grasp for an answer as Lucy and Sam came in, carrying a few boxes of pizza and some bags of various sodas. “Lunch, guys!” his mother called out, getting some paper plates down for the lot of them. She closed in on Michael, holding his face between her hands as she lowered her voice. “I just want to tell you thank you for stepping up this last week and helping us out. I really appreciate it.” She smiled her warmest, most motherly smile Michael thinks he had ever seen from her and it made his scowl lessen. 

“No problem, mom,” he answered, swatting Sam’s nose with his index finger as he turned back around from the refrigerator, cup in hand. “Anything for you and Sammy. Right, Sammy?”

“Yeah, whatever, Mike,” Sam replied, batting at Michael’s hand as they all gathered around the table to eat lunch. Star still seemed troubled and he had a feeling that wasn’t the end of their conversation for the day.

The house repairs were actually nearing completion and even had the approval of their grandfather, which was no small feat. The last few tasks involved painting, which Michael had no problem doing, compared to what he’d had to do the rest of the week. It took up the rest of the afternoon and as the sun went down and he stopped yawning so much, Michael finished up in the basement before starting the clean up process. He’d gotten everything tidied up and was just about to jump into the shower to scrub any lingering paint off when Star caught him by the shoulder outside of his room.

“You’re avoiding me,” she stated and Michael froze, gaze darting to his bedroom door and then back to her again. 

“What do you mean?” he asked, trying to keep his voice as cool as possible. 

Star pulled at his shoulder until he’d turned around, back against his door as she cornered him against it. “I don’t know why, but something’s changed. I thought now that everything had settled down that we could actually try to have something between us.” She looked up at him with her dreamy eyes and Michael remembered why he’d fallen for her in the first place, with a face like that. “I still like you, Michael.” Her hand found his own as she reached up to cup his face as she drew her own nearer. “Don’t you care about me anymore?”

Michael was having too much of an internal struggle to give her an immediate answer. He _should_ say yes, pull her close and try to resume whatever they’d had going on before. That felt safe and correct. So why didn’t he want it?

“‘Course I do, Star,” he reassured her, though avoided clarifying exactly what form that care came in. “I’ll always care about you.” That seemed to be what she’d wanted to hear and the next moment, she was kissing him, slow and full of longing for what they’d shared before, even if it was different now. Michael tried to kiss her back with the same fervor but couldn’t, not able to place why it felt off, why when he kissed her back, it felt more like a schoolyard crush than anything meaningful. He didn’t break it off first, thinking that maybe it just hadn’t been going on long enough, but even after he was about to run out of breath, he still felt nothing, pulling away and looking awkwardly to the side. 

Why didn’t being so close to Star again make him feel like he did before? They could finally try and make this work and yet the thought of doing so made him feel...indifferent. “Michael?” she asked him uncertainly, pulling back as well to see why he’d withdrawn.

A clattering came from behind his door and Michael closed his eyes and swore silently. “Hold that thought,” he told Star, reaching behind himself to open the door just enough for him to slip inside and close it again. He watched as David tried to make it look like he hadn’t just been hovering by the door, waiting until he settled back down before addressing him. “What are you doing?” he asked flatly, keeping his voice low in case Star was still in hearing range.

“Nothing,” David answered, like a liar.

“Were you spying on me?” Michael asked, mostly annoyed but with a hint of amusement somewhere in his voice.

David scoffed and rolled his eyes. “It’s not spying if you’re right outside the door, Michael. You gonna keep your girlfriend waiting?”

Michael laughed derisively, unsure if it was a deflection or not. “Are you jealous?” he asked, a teasing smile unable to stop from tugging at the corner of his mouth. It was evidently the wrong move as the next thing he knew, David had him pressed against the door, though with far less gentleness than Star had shown him. 

“I’m not _jealous,_ Emerson,” David hissed, and if he had been in his usual getup, Michael might have been a bit nervous. Here, though, he was an inch shorter and though he was currently holding Michael up by his jacket lapels, it was obvious that he was still shaky on his feet. “Why should I be jealous of Star when she was only using you?”

Michael gritted his teeth as he stared down at David, lifting a hand to push at his shoulder just to put some space in between them. “She wasn’t using me,” he countered. “She asked for my help and I gave it to her.”

“I bet you did,” David shot back. “She batted her lashes at you, got you into bed and now she expects you to run off with her, because you still _care_ about her. Right?”

“Why shouldn’t I?” Michael retaliated but regretted it a second later, knowing that’s not what he wanted. Not by a long shot, but he dug himself into a further hole, not sure of whether he was more angry at David for implying he wanted Star or at himself for _not_ wanting her. “She didn’t try to kill me. She’s safe, and more importantly, she’s _human_.”

A cruel grin spread across David’s face that looked unnatural even on him. “You’re never gonna be human again, Michael. Not unless you kill me.” He jerked a thumb across the room, pointing at the opposite end, towards Sam’s door. “I’m sure your brother still has some stakes he’s not using. Go ahead and kill me since you want to be human again so badly.” He watched Michael without blinking, unmoving as he waited for an answer.

“I’m not going to kill you! I saved your life, for fuck’s sake,” Michael yelled, throwing an arm out, exasperated by the current conversation. “I’ve been letting you drink my blood, sleep in my bed, and you had your tongue in my mouth! If anyone’s _using_ me, it’s you.”

“Yeah? We both know who was in your head last night while you were taking care of your _problem_ ,” David deadpanned, gesturing at the bathroom. “And they weren’t brunette and wavy-haired, that’s for sure.”

Michael’s face drained at the comment and he reached forward, grabbing David by the front of his shirt, lifting him so they were both eye to eye. “How?” he demanded, flat out ignoring any indicators that he might have jostled David’s injuries by doing so. He’d regret it later, but he needed answers now.

David just fixed him with his usual smug expression and it took everything in Michael not to wipe it clear off of his face. “I told you. My blood’s in your veins. Did you forget we share a mental connection now?” he asked innocently, catching himself with his arms outstretched as Michael threw him back onto the bed none too gently. “If you still care so much about Star, then why were you fantasizing about me?” David continued lowly, glaring up at Michael as he loomed over the vampire. 

“Stay out of my head, David,” he warned through clenched teeth, not sparing one last look as he stormed towards the door, slamming it shut behind him. Star was nowhere to be found even after he checked downstairs, and with the night ticking away, Michael too felt the guilt eating away at him. With a sigh, he climbed back upstairs, ready to try and make amends with David, even if he didn’t deserve it just yet. When he opened his bedroom door, however, he found an empty bed and an open window. David’s boots and his leather jacket were missing as well and with a heavy sigh, Michael grabbed his keys, preparing for a long night on his bike along the coast of Santa Carla.

————————————————

_This is stupid._

Michael’s thoughts on the matter were clearly written on his face as he stalked the boardwalk, busy as ever despite the lateness of the hour. He gripped his keys in his palm, digging in further despite the pain, keen on having an outlet for his frustration as his eyes darted throughout the crowd. He wasn’t even sure David would be here, but if he was looking to blow off some steam and blend in, maybe even try to hunt, it was the perfect environment. Faint heartbeats pulsed away in his ears, barely present but there was an overwhelming amount of them as he weaved in and out of groups of people laughing and talking. He tried his best to block them out and focus on whatever telepathic link David had revealed was still active between them, unsure of what he should even be trying to do. 

A flash of bright blond hair caught the corner of his eye and he turned face-first into a guy twice his size, shaved head whipping around to shove Michael to the ground in retaliation. “Hey, watch it, homo!” the man snarled at him and Michael didn’t have to have heightened senses to smell the amount of alcohol exuding from him. He’d seen this particular ray of sunshine around before, skulking around clearly underage girls and sporting whatever new offensive tattoo he could on any remaining free patches of skin. Probably would have been easy pickings for David and his crew, the thought bringing a semblance of a smile to his otherwise scowling face. The man was already moving on, shoving his way through the crowd to ruin someone else’s night. Michael picked himself up with a huff, wiping the sand off of his jeans as he looked around for the phantom blond. Seeing nothing, he sighed in frustration and continued back up the boardwalk, retracing his steps.

The little pop-up stand where he’d bought his leather jacket came into view and he stopped, considering why he’d bought the thing in the first place. To fit in, sure, but he got the feeling that David would have taken an interest in him even if he hadn’t looked the part. Short-lived as it was, he’d had a good time with the boys and if they hadn’t been vampires, he could have seen them becoming life-long friends. Even still, it’s not like there had been much opportunity for bonding in the whirlwind of events that had happened, but Michael could still feel some regret at how things had turned out. The guys had wanted him and welcomed him with open arms, after all. He reached up to feel for his earring, remembering how cool he thought it had been on David when they’d first met, and he wondered if his breath had actually been taken away by Star or if it had been by David all along. He may have been a jackass, but damn if it wasn’t endearing. Clearly it’d worked on Michael, if he was still walking up and down the boardwalk searching for him for god knows how long. He’d traversed the entire thing for the fourth time and had just reached the very end of the pier and taken a step on the blackened beach when the sharp, metallic smell of blood practically slapped him across the face. His fangs took an interest first and Michael rubbed his jaw, still not used to the feeling of his gums aching whenever he sensed fresh blood nearby. 

The moonlight served little exposure as he searched the edge of the beach, his eyes adjusting slowly as the scent became more potent near the more wooded area full of bushes and trees. The sea breeze rustled along the leaves, sending a chill down Michael’s back as his gaze found the body of the same man who’d shoved him to the ground, covered in his own viscera. Wildlife were already starting to peck at it but scurried away as he approached, seeing up close now that the stranger’s throat had been ripped out completely, neck only hanging on by a few loose tendons. A pocket knife lay nearby; he could see a few patches of blood darkening the sand some distance away from the corpse. Michael covered part of his face with his arm as he went around to examine the top of the man’s head, spotting the signature twin holes that David had so graciously treated to showing him the first time he’d fed in front of Michael. So he’d felt alright enough to hunt, at least, but it didn’t look as clean as it could have been, not to mention that there was a trail of blood leading away from the crime scene. The hotel wasn’t too close, even for someone who was still probably bloody and wounded, which meant David had been extra idiotic and chosen to fly there. Michael had a feeling that’s exactly where he’d find David, the stubborn bastard that he was. 

He retrieved his bike and followed the cliff to the hotel, soon enough the smell of the man’s blood in the air dissipating but the scent of David’s blood taking its place, making Michael hurry along a bit quicker. He slid down the sloped pathway towards the entrance, hopping back up onto his feet, listening for any signs of movement. Just one of the barrels had been lit, flames ablaze, casting an eerie glow over the silent cave, shadows dancing on the walls. His half-dead heart leapt into his throat at the sound of David’s voice off to the side, subdued and scratchy but still with that teasing lilt he could never quite shake.

“Penny for your thoughts.”

Michael circled around, throwing the sheer makeshift curtains aside with one hand as he regarded David with what could have been pity, if he hadn’t known it had been the vampire’s fault he was there in the first place. He was sprawled across the makeshift bed on his back, jacket ripped and torn in places on his arms and gloves shredded from the fingers down as well, blood and probably bits of flesh still clinging to his fingernails. As Michael drew nearer, he could distinctly see wounds just big enough that they couldn’t have come from anything else but a knife peppering David’s abdomen, blood still sluggishly flowing from a few deeper cuts. His mouth still showed the gruesome evidence from his kill, blood both dried and fresh splattered across his face. He looked like a macabre mess all the way up to his tired, half-lidded eyes, watching Michael carefully as he moved to sit across on the smaller bed right next to him.

“You’ve been busy,” Michael stated flatly, rolling his eyes as David laughed weakly. “Are you okay?”

David lifted his head to make eye contact, shrugging one shoulder in response. “I’ve been better.”

Michael dropped his head, sighing loudly in frustration before standing, David believing he was just going to leave and say fuck it. He wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what he chose to do - it’s not like he deserved Michael staying with him. When he simply joined David on the main bed, lifting his head to rest it on his lap, the expression David fixed him with was of tired confusion. 

“Tell me what happened,” Michael requested, voice firm but soft as he pulled a few dried flecks of blood from David’s spiked hair. 

So David did, telling his own version of the night’s events. How he’d left to get some fresh air, had seen Michael on the boardwalk and was going to approach him until some asshole had rudely interrupted them, how David had heard what he’d said to Michael and watched him shove him to the ground, how he hadn’t exactly planned on feeding that night but wasn’t going to let the perfect opportunity go to waste. 

“And the holes in your stomach?” Michael asked, careful not to touch them as he moved the jacket away from David’s midsection.

David shrugged again as he picked the final piece of flesh from underneath his nails, chucking it somewhere over the edge of the bed. “He had a knife. Smart, if you’re gonna live in Santa Carla. Not so smart if you piss a vampire off.” He raised his arms from where they were laying across his chest, eyeing the rips in his jacket with longing regret. “Asshole ruined my jacket, too. He shouldn’t have even had the chance.”

Michael tried not to laugh at the image of David in his now fingerless gloves, fussing over the shredding of his cool leather jacket. He looked more punk now than whatever he was trying to go for beforehand. “Did you really have to gut the poor guy too?” he asked, feigning disappointment.

David actually looked a little embarrassed, glance darting away from Michael as he lowered his arms again. “I was still pretty mad at you. I’ll admit I was way messier than I usually am.” He lifted a hand to swipe at whatever remaining blood was around his mouth, rubbing it off on his sleeve. “Were you worried about me?” he asked, eyes eventually meeting Michael’s again, and this time, there was no teasing or taunting present in his voice.

As Michael regarded the at-times infuriating nightstalker currently resting in his lap, he lifted a hand, cupping David’s cheek as he considered his words carefully. David turned into the touch, Michael’s warm hand feeling nice against his cold skin. “Yeah, even though running off was _your_ idea,” he scolded lightly, brushing his thumb over David’s lip, his attention focusing on some blood that had been missed in his half-assed attempt at cleaning up. They were close, hot and cold breath mingling into one as David’s tongue just barely traced Michael’s thumb, fully aware of what effect it was having.

“Sorry,” David answered, though he didn’t sound it in the slightest as Michael closed the distance between them, licking into David’s mouth in earnest. He tasted the stranger’s blood and it alarmed him how good it was, though that may have just been because he was tasting it on David’s tongue, which made everything inexplicably sweeter. He explored further, jumping at the prick he felt on his own tongue from the tip of David’s exposed fang, his own blood trickling out and spilling across their mouths. He could feel David grin against his lips, felt a needy hand grip at his shoulder as he shifted. David fidgeting in his lap wasn’t doing any favors for his resolve at the moment, nor his growing interest in how events were unfolding.

Breaking them apart, Michael panted as he regained his breath, removing David’s hand from his shoulder gingerly. “Come on. Let’s go back home,” he suggested, needing to get David out of his lap and the bed before he made those injuries worse. David hadn’t even balked at him referring to Michael’s house as home, though whether or not he was actually listening remained to be seen, not when Michael was so obviously flustered and trying not to appear as much. He kept silent, a mischievous smile etched on his face as he let Michael maneuver him, letting most of his weight relax as Michael threw an arm across his shoulder. They walked out of the hotel and approached Michael’s bike, David seeming reluctant to have to ride on the back but at Michael’s glare, he relented and climbed on with some difficulty, holding his stomach with one arm. 

Michael climbed on in front of him, David bringing his other arm to wrap around his waist, holding him tight as he rested his cheek against his back. Michael started the bike and peeled away from the darkened cliff. He had no idea what time it was, but it had to have been late as they passed by the boardwalk, the lights and sounds turned low and only a few stragglers milling around, trying to keep the party still going. He kept the ride as even as possible, speed not too out of control to keep David comfortable too. He could feel when David lifted his head, neck angling to the side so he could breathe directly in Michael’s ear, his cold breath chillier than the air whipping past them. “Thanks for coming back for me. I’ll make it up to you.” His voice was low, almost inaudible but Michael heard every word as they were purred. When David moved the arm holding his own middle around to Michael’s waist, he felt the warmth from the blood seeping through the back of his shirt, but David didn’t seem too bothered by it, more preoccupied with driving Michael insane with his teasing touch. The soft vibrations from the motorcycle were very much not helping.

“If I tried to do something right now, would you be able to stop me?” the vampire whispered into his ear, hands finding the zipper on Michael’s jeans, toying with it idly. As he popped the button open, Michael gripped the handles of the bike so hard he thought they might break, eyes darting down to keep an active watch on his speed. This was dangerous, way more reckless than anything he’d done before, including becoming a fucking vampire. David didn’t seriously think he could get Michael off while they were speeding down the road in plain sight. Yet he kept pawing, a hand pressing down against Michael’s obvious bulge and Michael was tired, so tired of pretending he didn’t have obvious growing feelings for David, both physical and emotional. He opened his mouth to answer, to tell him to fuck off, to berate him for trying something like this while they were on a moving vehicle. Instead, like a tap, he let his mind open and thoughts wander, and somehow he could sense David listening in.

_Would I want you to stop?_

David breathed an incredulous laugh against the nape of Michael’s neck as he unzipped his jeans, his hand still slicked with fresh blood that may or may not have been his own slipping inside. Michael’s breathing came hard and fast as David pushed his boxers to the side, at least having the decency to leave him tucked in as he gripped Michael at his base. His attention was torn between keeping his focus on the road and David’s hand sliding around him, no real rhythm just yet as he got used to Michael’s size first. He took a second to rip the remaining fabric of the glove off, letting it fly behind them into the wind as he resumed his ministrations, skin on skin contact making Michael bite down hard enough on his lip to draw blood, no fangs required. David’s other hand slipped further down as it massaged Michael’s inner thigh, nails digging in teasingly, though not hard enough to draw blood just yet.

Michael narrowly missed their turn as David continued, thumb swiping across his tip fleetingly, blood mixing with the precome already starting to form. It provided a delicious and intoxicating slide that was making Michael lose the battle on being able to steer properly, or think properly, for that matter. He killed the headlight on the bike as he brought them up the driveway and off to the side of the house. His legs kicked out to stop the bike sooner than necessary, needing to get his bearings before he collapsed, eyes sliding shut as soon as they came to a complete stop. David, torturous bastard as he was, slowed his strokes and Michael threw his head back, resting heavily on David’s shoulder as his arm reached around to grip the vampire there by the back of his neck. His heavy panting cut through the pitch black night’s serenity, a deep groan pulling from his exposed throat as David lapped at his neck, non-sharpened teeth biting down as he circled Michael’s length from tip to root in quick motions. 

_Come, Michael,_ he heard in David’s alluring tone, and he wasn’t sure if he’d actually said it or if it was just in his head but he was finishing all the same, hips thrusting forward for more contact. David didn’t stop touching him until he was spent, legs trembling as he rode through the final wave of his orgasm. He released his hold on David, chest still heaving as he struggled to get some blood flow back to his brain. David was chuckling softly behind him and he didn’t need to turn around to see the complacent smirk he knew was there as he took his hand back. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught David bringing it to his mouth to take a quick taste before cleaning the rest off on his pants, catching Michael’s gaze and shooting a wink at him. Michael tucked himself back in in a hurry, the sticky mess needing to be dealt with as soon as they got inside. 

“You could have gotten us killed.”

“It’d be a great way to go though, right?” David answered.

Michael climbed off of the bike carefully, still wobbly on his feet as he helped David down, supporting him once again as they neared the door. “Be quiet,” he demanded in a whisper as he unlocked it, sighing in annoyance as David snorted.

“Too late for that.”

The house was thankfully still and quiet as they went through the living room as soundlessly as possible, creaks still squeezing out under their steps from the old flooring. Michael dropped his keys off on the table near the door as he locked it behind him. They had nearly reached the start of the staircase uninterrupted until a lamp on a nearby side table clicked on from behind them. Michael’s almost-dead heart stopped for the second time that night as he swallowed hard, David freezing beside him as well. 

“Michael?” 

Star’s voice cut through the thick silence like a shot and the absolute last thing he wanted to do was turn around and face her. Mind reeling at a thousand miles per hour, he finally let the breath go that he was holding in and looked over his shoulder nervously, trying to clear the lump in his throat before he tried to speak. “Hey, Star,” he wavered, sheepishly lifting his arm in greeting before letting it fall just as quickly. 

“Is that David?” she asked, her voice gravely serious, unwavering despite Michael’s unease. David had tried to be as unnoticeable as possible, to his credit, but as Michael finally turned both of them around, he nodded to her in acknowledgement, still holding his abdomen as his grip on Michael’s waist tightened. “Why is he still alive?” she finally asked, hand hovering over her mouth, still in shock.

“It’s a long story,” Michael answered and he wanted to kick himself, or better still, drop off the face of the planet at that exact moment. If there was a worst case scenario that they could possibly have gotten caught in, it was this one. Between the blood still covering David’s entire body and clothes, his own still-unzipped, blood-stained jeans and the fact that there was a huge goddamn hickey that he didn’t even know existed on the side of his neck, it couldn’t get much worse. He waited for Star to say something, _anything_ , but she was looking off to the side, her big eyes already appearing to be welling up with tears as he followed her gaze.

The mirror Sam had first discovered he had a translucent reflection in showed one and a half of the room’s occupants, David completely gone and his own faded to such a degree that the furniture behind him was visible through his body. She looked back at the pair with an unreadable expression but it became clear what it might mean as she darted off, heading for the kitchen. “Star, wait!” Michael called after her, letting his shoulder drop as he leaned David down to sit at the base of the stairs, perhaps a bit more roughly than he should have. He followed her into the other room as she tried to escape him, but he reached for her, catching her by the wrist before she could leave again. “Star, you can’t tell _anyone_ about David. Please.”

“I think they would be more upset at you still being a vampire, Michael!” Star shot back, yanking her hand out of his grasp. “He was supposed to die so you could go back to being human.”

Michael threw his hands up defensively. “What do you want me to tell you, Star? He wasn’t dead! Was I supposed to just leave him there?” he asked desperately, unable to think of how to convince her to keep his secret. “I’m not that heartless. Besides, your plan worked - you’re human again and that’s what you wanted all along, isn’t it?”

Star recoiled at his words, shaking her head as her voice quivered. “I wanted you to be human with me.” She wiped at the corner of her eye with her hand, sniffling lightly. “But it looks like you had other plans instead.” She breezed past him, heading for the front door as she stepped into her shoes. Michael trailed her as she stopped by the table, eyeing the keys to his bike. “You’re making a huge mistake. You’re going to get yourself killed!” she continued on, stepping forward to place her hands on his chest, making one final plea to change his mind. 

Michael sighed in frustration, stepping back and letting her arms fall. “I can’t kill him. I don’t _want_ to kill him,” he amended. “This is how I am now, Star. I can’t change it.” 

She bristled, taking a step back from him in horror. “Please, Michael. Please don’t kill anyone. You don’t have it in you.” 

“I won’t,” Michael answered in reflex but stopped as he saw Star reaching for his keys, gripping them in her hand. 

“Then you’re going to die!” she exclaimed, turning on her heel towards the door. “I’m sorry, but I can’t stay here if you’re going to slowly kill yourself for _him_ and expect me to keep it a secret.” Throwing it open, she slammed it shut behind her, Michael still processing what was happening before he followed her outside. 

“Star!” he yelled after her as she climbed up on his bike, revving the engine a few times before backing up and peeling off into the night without a second glance behind her. He stared after her for a moment, unable to believe that she’d just run off like that, especially with his bike. It would have to be a problem to be dealt with tomorrow. 

Stalking his way back inside, Michael closed the door behind him as he approached David, who had remained silent the entire time. “That was dramatic,” he finally voiced, unsure of how else to sum up the events that had just transpired. 

“Shit! She took my bike,” Michael yelled quietly in subdued frustration, throwing his hands in the air. “I don’t even know if she’s going to come back!” His rant was cut short as he stilled, hearing movement coming from across the house. “We need to get you upstairs,” he explained in less than half a breath, swooping under David and hoisting him up, already in the motion of climbing the stairs before David even found his footing. He practically dragged his body up the rest of the way, throwing both of them into his room and leaving David to situate himself as he quickly changed pants, making sure to do up his zipper. He threw on a long-sleeved turtleneck to cover up the blossoming hickey before practically flying down the steps to meet Sam and his mother downstairs, purposefully standing so he wouldn’t be visible in the mirror.

“Michael? What’s going on?” Lucy asked, still groggy as she rubbed at the corner of her eye. “What’s all that noise?”

Sam yawned as he tied his robe around his middle, voice already grumpy but laced with sleepiness. “It’s like three in the morning!” he whined, thumping Michael on his arm with a small fist. “Keep it down, would ya?”

Michael tried his best to look sleepy, mussing up his hair with an errant hand before shrugging. “I heard my bike start up and when I looked out the window, I saw Star riding off with it,” he answered, ire present in his tone but confusion peppering it as well. “Did something piss her off?” he asked, looking pointedly at Sam to try and deflect his much-deserved blame.

Lucy looked down at her youngest as well, disappointment already evident on her face at Michael’s accusation. “Don’t look at me!” Sam yelled, throwing his arms out. “She was supposed to take me shopping tomorrow. I thought we were cool!”

“I wonder if your grandfather said something to her,” Lucy speculated, nearly jumping out of her skin when the old man’s voice rang out from behind them.

“Haven’t said a word to her since she started livin’ here,” he clarified, passing by the group wearing his magnifier and holding his newest dead specimen. He stopped just short of Michael, as if he was speaking to him directly. “Thought the poor gal could use some normalcy in her life.” He wandered off, leaving Michael to feel twice as guilty as he already was. 

Lucy put her arm around Sam’s shoulder protectively. “I hope she comes back,” she said sadly, looking down at his younger brother. “I liked having her around. Are you sure you two didn’t get into an argument?” his mother asked as she fixed Michael with a worried glance. 

Michael tried not to sound more irritated than he felt. “Yeah, I’m sure,” he answered, clipped. “Hope she brings my bike back.”

“You can always get a new bike, Michael. I’m more worried about Star,” Lucy scolded, finally sighing in acceptance. “Maybe we should try and look for her in the morning.”

“She’ll be fine. She survived living with a pack of vampires for a while,” Michael noted. “Maybe the memories of what happened here were just a little overwhelming and she decided to take a break.” He realized then how little he knew about her, if she had a family, anything beyond her being a pretty face. It wasn’t fair to her to be upset if she’d run away from a bad situation and the guilt set in even more.

Michael’s dismissal of the situation was odd, even to his mother who wasn’t aware of everything that had happened, just that a pretty girl her son’s age was now living with them and her son wasn’t fawning after her. She wasn’t about to press the issue further though, especially so late at night. “If you say so, Michael,” she conceded, turning around with Sam to lead them back to their rooms. “We’ll talk about this more in the morning.”

“Okay. Night, mom,” he called after them, still able to hear Sam grumbling about this somehow being Michael’s fault. He wasn’t wrong. He waited until their steps had completely faded away before clicking off the table lamp and going back upstairs. David had already shucked off his tattered jacket and was sitting on the edge of his bed, boots kicked off as well. He looked over as Michael came in, taking one glance at his face before he was looking back to the ground. 

“I should go,” David started, though his voice suggested he wanted to do anything else but. “Didn’t mean to cause you all this trouble.” He wasn’t exactly equipped to make very good apologies and was still struggling to decide whether or not this whole thing was partly his fault in the first place. He hadn’t asked to be saved, after all, and if this was causing so much drama between Michael and his family, it was probably better off if he just left and went...somewhere.

Michael tried to disassociate his facial expression from how he was actually feeling since David didn’t deserve to take _all_ of the blame here. “It’s not entirely your fault,” he breathed on an exhale, frustration already starting to wane as a dreary acceptance started to set in instead. “I’m the one who decided you were worth saving.” It might have cost him his humanity and a potential normal future, but it was the choice he’d taken. “Which means you should _probably_ stick around for a while, don’t you think?”

Given the option, David would probably ask how high should Michael tell him to jump, but his goddamn ego had other plans. “If you want me that badly, who am I to argue?” he lilted, though there wasn’t much of his usual sarcastic overconfidence underlying the sentiment. He went to stretch his legs out and lay down on the bed, but Michael stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. 

“You’re not sleeping in my bed covered in blood and god knows what else,” he declared firmly, hoisting David up by the front of his shirt. “Come on. I’m running a bath for you.” He’d considered a shower first, but remembering Sam had said something about vampires and running water, he wasn’t exactly sure if the myth was true or not and didn’t want to find out that night by potentially harming David more than he already was. A bath seemed safer, since it was still water, technically. He hoped.

David did not seem thrilled with the idea. He laughed derisively, shaking his head in obvious contempt at the notion. “A bath? I haven’t taken one of those in years. Why can’t I take a shower instead?” he asked bemusedly, answering Michael’s unspoken question rather well as they shuffled into the adjoining bathroom. He hadn’t minded sharing one with Sam when they first moved in, but now it was a bit inconvenient.

“Because I don’t need my brother asking why I’m taking a shower at almost four in the morning,” Michael snapped, though there was no real bite behind it as he helped David out of his shirt. “Bath is more quiet. Finish getting out of your clothes,” he instructed, handing David a towel for his lower body while he turned to start the water, making sure it wasn’t too hot. He wasn’t even sure if it would bother David, if you suddenly lost the sensation between hot and cold when you became a full vampire, but it didn’t hurt to be careful. He made sure to lock the door from Sam’s side lest his sibling walk in to a face full of naked David in the bathtub, as amusing as that would be.

Michael looked away as he helped David into the tub, granting him some privacy. “You can look, Michael. I’m not shy,” David teased as he lowered himself into the water, hissing lowly as he sank underneath. The water immediately started pinkening with the blood filtering into it. “Jesus, that’s hot,” was his only critique before he sighed contently, loosening his muscles to try and enjoy the bath.

“I hadn’t noticed,” Michael sassed, as if they hadn’t just engaged in a sexual act in broad nightlight. It was rather late, but Santa Carla didn’t exactly have a bedtime. He waited for a moment for David to adjust to the water before moving the soap and shampoos close. “I’m gonna go make sure you didn’t bleed all over my sheets,” he said, heading for the connecting door to his room. “Let me know if you need anything.” David lifted a nearby rubber duck in response before plummeting it under the water’s depths. Michael rolled his eyes, leaving the vampire to clean himself up. 

He grabbed a pair of fresh pajama pants for David to change into, not bothering to include a shirt as it would most likely just irritate his stomach injuries and he had a feeling David wouldn’t want to wear it anyway, overconfident narcissist that he was. Setting the bottoms aside, he tidied up his room a bit, taking David’s ruined jacket and throwing it over his chair nearby. He’d kept the old denim jacket; maybe he wanted to hang onto this one too, if he was feeling nostalgic. He set the boots by the bed and took his leather pants, stifling a scoff as he threw them into his dirty laundry pile, unsure of how they were even supposed to be washed. The bed was the last chore he tackled, breathing a sigh of relief upon finding that it appeared blood-free. He made it anyway, patting down the covers so it would be ready for David to slip into.

Surveying the room, he plucked up the pajamas as he went back to the bathroom, grateful that David had been relatively quiet during his bath. The sight he was greeted with was better than anything he could have hoped for and he very nearly considered going and finding David’s Polaroid just to capture the moment. The bath either must have tired him out so much or been so relaxing that it knocked him out, David’s head resting against the wall by the side of the tub as he slept. His knees were drawn up and just barely peeking out from above the water, almost in a fetal position. Michael’s favorite part had to have been seeing his normally-spiky platinum blond hair limp and wet, hair clinging to his pale shoulders and still dotted with bubbles. He’d have to make sure they had some hair gel, or just swipe some of Sam’s. He liked the look, however, this completely vulnerable and innocent-looking David the polar opposite of what he was used to, stripped down so he could actually pass as human. If Michael were more poetic, he’d say David looked almost angelic. He shook his head lightly to break him of his thoughts, kneeling down and lightly touching David’s arm to rouse him.

David woke with a start, eyes temporarily flashing amber before his wide eyes fell on Michael, falling back to their default pale blue. He lifted a hand to rub at his face, dropping it back into the water with a splash. “Haven’t been this relaxed in a while,” he offered with a soft scowl, gaze turned downwards. “I’m done.” He moved to start getting out of the now-darkened water but Michael stopped him with a hand on his chest, raising his brows in amusement.

“There’s still soap in your hair,” he pointed out with a laugh. “Right on top.” Reaching down into the water below, he lifted a handful and splashed it over David’s head, rinsing the bubbles until they’d all dissipated. David sat still, looking as if he wanted to say something, but also clearly not wanting Michael’s attention off of him. His resolve between letting Michael believe he was inept and actually needed help bathing was a huge blow to his ego, but the utter desire for affection and Michael’s touch on his skin was far more powerful, winning out as he let himself be practically doted on. If only the guys could see him now - he’d never hear the end of it.

Michael leaned forward to pull the plug on the drain, letting the water start to fall as he retrieved the towel. David lifted himself over the tub’s side, reaching for it and starting to dry himself off, Michael waiting close by with the pajama pants. He snuck a glance over, noticing that the wounds in his abdomen already looked much better now that they were clean. He may have lingered a moment or ten too long, admiring David’s lithe body from the back as he dried his hair off. He had a slimmer build than the clothes he wore suggested and Michael wondered if that was by design, if he felt the need to dress bigger to be more intimidating, if he would still be compelled to do so now that things had changed. 

The curve of his ass was just distracting enough to keep Michael’s attention as David tossed the towel at him, crossing his arms over his chest, full front on display and god, he really was shameless. “Michael! Pants.”

Michael woke himself out of his trance, biting the inside of his cheek as he passed the clothing to David, who was currently sporting a pleased, tired little smile at the situation. He pulled them on, leaving them low on his hips, most likely on purpose. David scoffed, shaking his head as he positioned himself to be maneuvered by Michael out of the bathroom and back into his bedroom. “Don’t need telepathy to tell what _you’re_ thinking,” he teased next to Michael’s ear as he lowered him down on the bed, catching Michael’s arm before he could pull away from him. “Stay.”

It was a hard feat to try and resist that command, not when David was asking him outright, with his slicked-back still-damp hair and his bare chest and his stern gaze. He wondered how the hell he could have gone from sleeping on his floor to cuddling with a vampire in the span of just a few days and decided he was alright with it. “Fine, but it’s a tight fit,” he warned, slipping out of his jeans and taking off the sweater to get more comfortable, leaving him in boxers and a shirt. 

“I’m counting on it,” David growled, a bark of laughter escaping from him at Michael’s exasperated look. “Hurry up, I’m tired,” he whined, throwing a corner of the blanket down. Michael caught it and climbed into his bed, David immediately curling into his side and throwing an arm around his middle, pulling him close. Michael dug his arm out from between them to hold David’s shoulder, hesitating, hovering for a moment before his hand settled on it. The whole scenario seemed surreal, like he was watching himself tenderly embrace a vampire from outside his own body. He shook his head, grounding himself to the moment as he pulled the covers up around them. 

“Night, David,” Michael murmured, switching the lamp next to his bed off. “I’m glad you’re here.”

He felt David relax completely next to him, felt his cold breath even out as he drifted off, saw a peek of the sunrise starting to filter through the smallest crack in one of the blankets over his window. He drew the covers up more over David’s sleeping form just in case as he closed his eyes, feeling more at peace than he had in a while.


	5. if it looks like i'm laughing i'm really just asking to leave this alone

The alarm Michael had finally remembered to set blared at eight o’clock sharp. He cracked open bleary eyes, not having been able to adjust to his darkened room during the morning hours quite yet. Reaching over to turn it off, he lay there a moment, taking time to wake up comfortably now that he could sleep in his own bed again. David was asleep next to him, the buzzing of the alarm not seeming to have disrupted his deep slumber. His arm was across Michael’s chest, hand seeking warmth under his shirt and up near his rib cage. With a resigned sigh, Michael took hold of David’s arm and moved it off to try and dislodge himself, but stopped when David grumbled, readjusting his grip and sliding his hand down to rest on his hip instead. “Quit it,” he growled, pulling the warm body closer.

“David, I need to get up,” Michael informed him, hand on David’s wrist to try the separation process again. Exhaustion must have had a direct correlation with his strength because trying to pry the hand off of his hip was no small feat, David digging his nails in for reinforcement. Michael jumped slightly, arching his back at the mix of pain and pleasure from the act. “Come on, let me go,” he breathed roughly, hand no longer trying to pull David off of him, but he held him there all the same.

“I just started to get used to sleeping in a bed again, Michael,” David’s groggy voice answered pleadingly. “Don’t go just yet.” He lifted his head from where it was resting near Michael’s chest, moving to hone in on his neck, pushing aside some errant curls there with his nose. Michael’s resolve chipped away with each passing second, accelerated when David dotted his skin with light kisses and laps of his tongue. He tried to push David and his teasing fucking touch away, stopping when the kisses turned into bites and his protests gave way to little moans. The amount of times he’d been turned on enough that he started getting hard in the past few days was ridiculous, now being no different from the nails raking down his stomach and David’s cool breath in his ear. He only had so much energy, sleepiness making both of them more sensitive to each other’s touch.

Regardless, he couldn’t once again let David take the upper hand here, not when he was so vulnerable to getting knocked down a peg or two. He’d started this battle of wills and Michael was going to finish it. “You really want me to stay?” he murmured, feeling David nod once against his neck. “Fine. But you’re getting up with me afterwards,” he continued, not waiting for a chance to David to fight it before he took the hand circling his navel and pushed it aside, craning his neck away from any further ministrations as he moved the blankets aside, slipping under them to position himself between David’s outstretched legs. David watched him intently, half-lidded eyes still heavy with sleep but there was a curiosity that burned in them as he made room to accommodate the new position. 

“No guarantees there. I don’t have a family I have to go see,” he intoned, which might have started a downward spiral in any other instance, but with Michael where he currently was, he was hard-pressed to feel anything but building anticipation. 

Michael followed his lead, one hand tracing down David’s bare chest, his gaze following it. “No, but if I have to be awake so early, so do you.” He was being petty, but David was the one who didn’t let him slip out of bed that morning and leave him to sleep peacefully. With how the events were playing out and what he had in mind, he had a feeling David wouldn’t be complaining by the end either. He had vaguely wondered about the mechanics of vampires and arousal, unsure of how it would work with them technically being dead, but as he traced the waistband of David’s borrowed pajama pants and blew hot breath across his lower stomach, it became clear that they could also be affected. Rather easily, it seemed, if David’s hitched inhale was something to go by. The wounds from last night were already scarring over and Michael felt them under his tongue, felt his affection grow for this creature of the night who hadn’t decided to kill him, but still very well could. The thought only added to his own arousal as he worked to bare David entirely, sliding the pants down on his ass just barely enough so he could have full access to him. He didn’t have much experience to go by with this kind of thing and hoped David would cut him some slack, but as he caught the vampire’s glazed-over eyes and mouth partly open, biting back a hiss of pleasure as Michael wrapped a few fingers around his base, the worry started to evaporate. 

He focused on what he knew he himself liked and applied it to David, drawing his hand up hardened flesh to circle lazily, no real rhythm set just yet. David tried to push his hips forward for more contact, watching Michael pump him with fervent interest. His head fell back against the pillow as Michael teased with his other hand, lightly grazing his inner thigh with his nails before spreading out to pin him down. He made sure David’s whole attention was on him before he lowered himself, stopping his stroking long enough to place a kiss on David’s tip, relishing in the way he let out a hungry moan from the contact. “For fuck’s sake, Michael,” he whined, hands fisting the sheets in frustration. “Would you _stop_ being such a tease already -“ Michael had the good sense to cut him off when he did, sliding his tongue around David’s shaft as he threw one of the pillows above him. His plea had morphed into a guttural growl, louder than it had any right to be and was effectively quieted as he still had the reflex to catch the pillow, biting down on it to muffle his pleasure. Michael tried to keep his gaze on David and his reactions but also focused on the task at hand, adjusting himself as he slowly slid David further past his lips, an inch at a time as he got more comfortable. He didn’t get very far before he had to stop, but David didn’t seem to mind in the slightest. He looked up through his lashes at David, who had moved the pillow aside so he could better watch Michael, his pupils blown wide and a hand covering his mouth. At the sight of Michael and his intense gaze from those soulful eyes, he couldn’t help but close his own, head falling to the side as his hips stuttered, torn between wanting to push into Michael’s waiting mouth and not wanting to choke him. 

The display was absolutely delicious to Michael, who got more pleasure out of seeing David methodically unravel underneath his touch than anything. His normally unflappable nature seemed like a forgotten dream now, his heavy panting and low chanting of Michael’s name as he got closer and closer to coming grounding Michael to the moment. David’s hand eventually found a home in his curls, gripping lightly and the slight pain from it only spurred him on more. He popped his mouth on a particularly shallow suck, cheeks hollowing out as he released David before bobbing right back down, taking half his length down his throat in one fell swoop. That seemed to cinch things for David as he cried out, fisting Michael’s hair as he felt his release like a shockwave, travelling down his entire body and out through his limbs. Michael tried to swallow as much as he could, moving his mouth off of David as he rode through the last waves of his orgasm. Michael languidly stroked him through the entire process, pulling his sticky hand away only when David started to soften, the vampire weakly moaning at the loss of contact. 

Michael couldn’t help but smile as he rolled out of bed, watching David with amusement as he took in the sight of the completely debauched night stalker, chest heaving and arms outstretched, still clutching the sheets as his oversensitivity started to wane. “Holy shit, Michael,” he finally voiced, lifting his head to make eye contact. “I don’t understand why you _wouldn’t_ wanna be a full vampire, if you suck _that_ good.”

He didn’t get a chance to defend himself before Michael was shoving a pillow down over his face, seeming to forget he didn’t need to breathe but finding the act comforting anyway.

—————————————

With David up and satisfied in his room, Michael went downstairs to get a copious amount of coffee in his system before preparing to face his family about last night’s events. His mother was in the kitchen, busying herself with making a few stacks of pancakes and some bacon for breakfast. The coffee pot was already churning away and Michael felt a pang of gratitude that his mother also seemingly was in his head, figuring out exactly what he wanted. “Morning, mom,” he greeted her, getting a mug down for himself as he waited by the pot for it to finish. “Sam up yet?”

Lucy shook her head as she finished the last of the bacon, turning off the stove. “No, he had some trouble falling back asleep after last night,” she answered in her usual worrying mother tone. “He’s sleeping in for a bit today.”

Michael pushed the guilt already starting to eat away at him regarding the previous night’s events. “Um, sorry,” he offered in reflex, but she patted his shoulder reassuringly as she passed by him with the hot plate of food. The coffee finished brewing and he immediately poured himself a full cup, right up to the brim, cursing as he brought it to his lips too quickly and sloshed the liquid inside, burning his mouth and his hand on the coffee. 

“It’s not your fault. Star did seem a little flighty,” she commented, handing him a few napkins to help clean up. “But I can’t imagine why she’d run off with your bike in the middle of the night for no reason. Something must have been bothering her pretty bad.”

Michael sighed, blowing air over his mug to cool its contents before he tried to take another sip. His mother didn’t know the half of it. “Yeah, I guess so,” he agreed in faux confusion, shrugging his shoulders. “Can I ask you a question?” he continued, chewing on his bottom lip when his mother wasn’t looking. 

“Of course, honey,” Lucy answered, sitting down at the table and stacking a few pancakes and some bacon on a plate for him. “Sit with me and have some breakfast.”

Michael wasn’t particularly hungry, but it might give him some much-needed energy. Filling his mug once more though this time a little less full, he joined her at the table, accepting the plate and pouring some syrup over the fluffy delights. “Are you okay? Like, how are you dealing with all of this?” he started, gesturing in general to the last week and a half of events. He knew his mother was strong enough to handle anything, but he still wished to check in on her just to make sure.

She waved a hand in indifference, her trademark cheery smile on her face a comfort to Michael’s nerves right now. “I’m fine! It all worked out in the end, and I’m glad we were able to fix up dad’s house,” she said. “It’s unfortunate what Max was, but I’m just ready to put it all behind us.”

Michael bit the inside of his cheek at her optimism. “Mom, you heard gramps. Santa Carla is full of vampires,” he reminded her gently. “I don’t think there’s any putting this behind us.” 

Lucy looked crestfallen for a moment but recovered instantly, taking a bite of her food. “Well, there’s no more in this house, at least,” she stated definitively and Michael had to hold back a laugh. “That’s the most important part.”

“Are we going to move again?” he asked her, feeling that it might be a possibility, depending on how spooked his mother had gotten.

She took a moment to consider, then shook her head. “No, we’re not going to move again. If these things are here, then...they’re everywhere, aren’t they?” Looking towards Michael for his opinion as he had actually been the one who was, and still is, a vampire, she nodded as he did. “All we can do is be prepared. Sam and his friends seemed to know a ton on how to fight them.”

“Right. But all vampires aren’t like Max,” Michael ventured, trying to gauge Lucy’s feelings on them, considering if it would ever be worth it to try and have his family and David meet properly. “Some of them are less bloodthirsty than others.”

“They still kill people, Michael!” she exclaimed, looking at her eldest with shock in her expression.

“It’s how they survive, mom. Some of them were turned by accident and some are still half vampires, so they haven’t killed anyone yet,” he informed her, leaving off the bit about himself still being one too. 

Lucy sighed, closing her eyes for a second. “I suppose there must be some good vampires out there who get their blood the right way,” she mused. Michael found it a bit funny that they were discussing the ethics and morals of vampires at the table. “And they are just trying to survive too. I’m sure some of them also have families, and that’s what Max wanted us to be.”

Michael nodded in agreement. “Yeah, he just went about it the wrong way.” So she didn’t seem entirely opposed to the whole concept, which was a plus. “Don’t worry, mom. No bloodsuckers are getting near your neck again any time soon.” He’d make sure of it.

“I hope not, dear,” Lucy answered and Michael stocked the conversation away in his head as he finished his coffee. So his mother seemed like she could take to meeting David well, but the only other hiccup would be Sam, who had more of a hair-trigger approach to anything that he didn’t understand or agree with. That would have to be a battle to be dealt with later.

———————————————

When Michael returned to his room after helping Lucy do the dishes and clean up the kitchen, he wasn’t surprised to find David asleep again, notebook he had been drawing in fallen off the side of the bed as he had evidently kicked it off. He wondered if he’d ever be able to change up a vampire’s sleep schedule as he set the cup of fresh coffee down on his bedside table, moving to disturb David from his slumber again when he spotted the notebook open to a page full of drawings, some unfinished doodles and some containing far more detail. He sat on the side of the bed David wasn’t currently sprawled across, spreading the sketches across his lap so he could see all of them. A few were just objects around his room, like a scene study, but others were of animals and some iconic landscapes around Santa Carla. His favorite subject by far was Michael, however, as he appeared in many different poses and angles, the attention to detail and effort put into the art heating up his cheeks. Out of all of the things David could choose to draw, Michael couldn’t fathom why he’d choose him.

“Having fun?” the artist asked from behind him, Michael jumping an inch off the bed from being caught. He flipped the book shut, turning to face David, who was sipping at the coffee with a raised brow. He had evidently found some hair gel while Michael was downstairs and Michael hoped he had been careful about venturing into the connecting bathroom, lest he run into Sam. 

“Jesus, I thought you were a deep sleeper,” he said, placing the notebook aside and rubbing at his face, trying to cool it down a bit. David didn’t need to see him anymore flustered than he already had.

“I used to be, until one of my brothers got staked right next to me,” he answered icily, though the expression on his face seemed to show that he wasn’t ready to start an argument about it. “That and I can tell when you’re close, even if I’m asleep.” He tapped the side of his head near his temple. “Connected. Now, why are you looking through my shit?”

Michael was going to remind him that it was technically _not_ his shit, if he had been supplied the damn thing, but decided against it. “You kicked it off the bed and I was fixing it. I just happened to see it open, that’s all.” That seemed to be a satisfactory enough answer as David glared at him a minuscule less amount. “I sure do show up a lot in there,” he commented, trying to keep the playful teasing out of his voice.

David groaned in annoyance, dropping his head to rest on his drawn-up knees. “And now I’m regretting it,” he whined, muffled. Lifting it once more, he reached for one of the pencils nearby, flipping it around as he sprung for the notebook. “But I can fix that _real_ quick,” he warned, bringing the eraser down to start rubbing at one of the lines that was part of Michael’s hair. 

“No way! They’re good!” Michael protested, yanking the book out of David’s hands and hugging it to his chest. “Don’t just get rid of them!” he demanded, but there was a rush of exhilaration in his voice, laughter ringing through as he wrestled David away from it. 

An actual squawk might have left his mouth as David tackled the half vampire, hand shoving in his face to distract him temporarily as he reached for the stolen item. “You weren’t even supposed to _see_ the goddamn thing, Michael!” he snarled, despite the smile on his face. He was a little embarrassed by Michael finding his doodles, but was more okay with the fact that he was getting to roll around with a near Adonis of a human in the struggle to be too upset about it. 

“Why not? It’s cute,” Michael retorted back before he found out firsthand the true wrath of a vampire he dared to call ‘cute’.

———————————————-

The two discussed later what Michael was going to do about his bike. When he suggested just taking one of the other boys’, David snapped at him that there was no fucking way he was doing that, and that ended that conversation for a while. He could try and get a part time job to pay for another one, which he suggested as daintily as he could, to which David rolled his eyes and finally agreed that Michael could go pick up his and use it for a while. Whether or not he felt bad about being the catalyst to the events that led to Michael losing his bike or whether he just wanted as much of Michael’s free time as possible remained to be seen. 

David pulled the keys to his bike out from his overcoat’s pocket, handing them over with some hesitation. Michael asked his mom if he could borrow her car, explaining the situation. She agreed but told him to take Sam, who had finally woken up after his longer nap. He’d given a sigh in irritation but agreed, seeing as it wasn’t especially bright out that day, the sun mostly blocked from the overcast clouds. The last thing he needed was his little brother again asking him why he was yawning in the middle of the day. He’d managed to stay inside for the brightest days of the waning summer and hoped to continue to do so.

Gathering Sam up and getting him into the car, he drove them to the boardwalk first so Sam could look around and they could grab a late lunch. He followed behind the teen, offering typical minimal responses as he was asked about comic books or whatever loud piece of clothing Sam had picked out to try on. Michael was pleased to spend some time with his sibling, considering everything that had happened. He waited outside as Sam visited with the Frog brothers, not particularly yearning to have a reunion with them any time soon. Sam returned with a stack of new comics in hand, happily chattering away about potential new people they were positive were starting to show vampiric qualities.

“Sam, can’t you just leave these guys alone?” Michael asked him as they climbed into their mother’s car again. “So what if they’re vampires? They aren’t hurting you."

Sam gawked at him as he buckled his seatbelt, comics stacked and balanced precariously on his lap. “They’re killing people!” he screeched, throwing a hand out for emphasis and Michael knew where he got that from, Lucy’s same protests echoing in his head. “Wouldn’t _you_ want them dead, of all people? After what they did to you and almost mom!”

Michael sighed, rubbing his eyes as he tried to focus on the road. “No, Sammy, I don’t. And if you keep going and putting yourself in dangerous situations like you did, _you’re_ going to get yourself killed.” It was a slippery slope, as he wasn’t exactly trying to excuse a vampire’s way of life, but from what he had seen so far from David and his boys’ victims, they weren’t exactly picking people who would be missed. He thought back to the asshole in the crowd who’d gotten his throat ripped out, feeling no remorse from seeing that happen.

“Whatever. I guess you couldn’t understand, being one of them and all.” He scoffed, crossing his arms over his stack of comics and looking out of the window.

“What’s there to understand? If you attack them first, of course they’re going to defend themselves,” Michael tried to explain, but felt like he wasn’t getting very far. “That’s just basic survival skills. But I guess you’re too young to get that.” He hid the smile that threatened to peek through at his provocation, failing to do so when he felt Sam’s fist thump his arm lightly. “I’m just saying, cut them some slack. They’re just trying to survive.”

Sam shook his head, not believing what was coming out of his older brother’s mouth. “I’m not becoming a vampire hunter like the Frogs. As long as they stay away from me and my family, they can suck whoever they want.” It was a little progress, at least, and Michael was glad to hear that Sam wasn’t thinking of following in the Frogs’ unstable footsteps. Maybe he’d also take discovering David was alive well and wouldn’t immediately call on the trigger-happy brothers. “What the hell are we doing here again?” Sam demanded, whipping his head around to face Michael as he pulled in front of the abandoned hotel.

“Relax, Sammy. I’m just grabbing one of their bikes since they obviously can’t use them anymore and I need one.” Michael closed the car door before going around to the back to make sure the trailer was attached, pulling aside the tarp. He pulled the keys from his pocket as they searched for the four motorcycles. Sam spotted the keys in his hand immediately.

“How’d you get those?” he asked offhandedly.

Michael froze. “Uh, they were in the pocket in David’s coat,” he explained as cooly as he possibly could. “Good luck for me, right?” he asked awkwardly.

Sam shrugged. “I guess. Still don’t know why you wanted that thing.” 

Michael found David’s bike and started it up, a little thrilled at the fact that he was able to ride it, even for just a short distance. Sam followed behind him, shuddering at the sheer proximity of how close they were to the hotel. The bike was brought up on the trailer with no issue and he put the keys back into his pocket. “Ready to go?” he asked as Sam continued to look over the entrance underground.

“Vampire or not, it was kind of messed up to see someone’s head explode,” Sam mused, voice quieter than Michael had heard in a long while. “I thought it was kinda cool at first, but I’d rather not kill anyone ever again. I even tried to stop those two from killing the first one.” 

Michael joined his little brother, placing a hand on Sam’s shoulder as he drew him into a side hug. “I’m sorry I dragged you into that whole mess, Sam. It was all my fault and you shouldn’t have been caught up in it.” He couldn’t promise that it wouldn’t happen again, given what he was now, but he’d make damn sure that no one would lay a hand or a fang on his brother, David included. “Thanks for not staking me when you had the chance.”

Sam shot him a toothy smile, looking up as he hugged Michael around his middle. “You’re my brother, Mike. Even if you were still a vampire, I’d still love you.”

Michael had to hide his face on the way back to the car to avoid letting Sam see the relief on it.

—————————————————-

Early evening rolled around and the sky opened up, dark clouds raining Michael out as he jumped off of David’s bike with the bag of Chinese food in hand, tucked into his jacket as he raced across the front yard to safety inside. Shaking most of the water off, he was about to head upstairs with the feast for himself and David before he was stopped by his mother, a grateful expression on her face. 

“Michael! You got dinner for us so I wouldn’t have to cook tonight. And in the rain too, how thoughtful!”

He held back the sigh as he grinned in response, throwing his arm up. “No problem, mom.” Sam followed into the kitchen not far behind and while it wasn’t what he was planning on, he had a nice dinner with his family, making sure that there were some leftovers he could take up to David. There wasn’t much cleaning up to do, so he waited for the kitchen to clear out before taking a container of rice and chicken upstairs along with a pair of chopsticks. David was on his stomach on the bed, eyes closed and head lowered as he listened to Axl’s crooning. Michael could hear the music blaring from the headphones as he approached, setting the half-empty container down as he changed out of his dampened clothes. David opened one eye, lifting his head and tugging the headphones off as he regarded the food with a laugh. “I eat stuff other than Chinese, Michael,” he commented, taking the food in hand all the same. “You get a little hungry on the way?” he asked, dipping the takeout box for dramatic effect.

“My mom thought I got dinner for everyone,” he explained sheepishly. “Wasn’t that much left.” 

“You could have just flown up here through the window,” David suggested, using a chopstick to make his point. “You still know how to fly, don’t you?”

Michael shrugged as he pulled on some pajama bottoms. “Honestly? Not really. I think I was only able to fly with you because of adrenaline or something.”

David stifled a laugh as he covered his mouth, finishing the last bit of food. “I guess I’ll have to teach you sometime,” he mused, looking off for a moment to imagine how that would go. “Then maybe we can actually _go_ somewhere.” 

“As soon as you’re feeling up to it, I’ll take you anywhere you’d like,” Michael promised, joining David on the bed as he took a moment to enjoy the warmth, still chilled from being in his wet clothes all through dinner.

“On _my_ bike?” David questioned with a raised brow, smile evident in his tone which had Michael relaxing as he nodded. “Fine, but I’m driving next time.” He threw the trash in Michael’s little wastebasket before turning and facing Michael, sitting cross-legged in his spot. “Now, in the meantime, let’s see if we can teach you the basics of flying.” He held his hands out expectantly, almost in a meditating-esque pose. “Follow my lead.”

Michael turned to face him as well, awkwardly pulling his long legs up so that he was sitting cross-legged too, mirroring David’s position. He supposed that learning how to control his flight was probably a skill he should have for the future and what better teacher could he get than a full vampire? 

David closed his eyes, breath he had no business inhaling being exhaled out slowly, Michael wondering if that was more for his benefit than anything. “Just, you know. Picture yourself in the air,” he instructed, rather loosely, as he floated up off of the bed a few inches. “Light as a feather.”

Closing his eyes as well, Michael tried to imagine himself as weightless. Really, he did, but he just wasn’t able to do so, feeling no different than he did before and knowing he was still sitting on the bed. He squeezed his eyes shut more, nose scrunching up in an effort to maintain concentration, trying to will himself up and into the air. He’d done it once before, goddamn it, becoming frustrated that he didn’t seem to be able to repeat it. 

“Don’t overthink it, Michael,” David said from above him, stretched out with his back against the ceiling as his chin rested in his hands. He waved his fingers in an annoying little greeting. “Though you’re pretty cute when you’re focusing real hard like that.” 

Michael broke, standing from his sitting position on the bed and yanking David back down by his leg. “Look, I’m exhausted from staying up day and night the past few days and I obviously can’t do it,” he said on an exhale, easily dodging David’s flailed punch at his arm for dragging him back down. “And you suck as a teacher.”

David rolled his eyes, crossing his arms indignantly as he scoffed. “We’ll try again when you’re in a better mood,” he snarked, laying down with his head at the bottom of the bed as he settled into a somber mood. “There’s nothing like flying, you know. Seeing the city lights spread out under you, feeling the breeze in your bones, especially when you and your three idiot friends are trying to race home against the sunrise because Marko just _had_ to help some baby birds that had fallen from their nest.” He stopped suddenly, staring straight up at the ceiling, expression unreadable. Michael joined him at the foot of his bed, shoulder bumping lightly against David’s as he lay his head down as well, one hand resting on his chest as the other found David’s between their bodies. 

“Sounds like he was a good guy,” Michael voiced quietly, carefully as he gave David’s hand a squeeze. “Did you always get into shenanigans like that with the boys?”

—————————————————

They lost a few hours reminiscing about David’s time with Paul, Dwayne, and Marko. He told Michael about the time they visited San Francisco for a Poison concert that Paul had begged them to go to which ended up with them partying with the band all night, sharing hair tips and the best weed David had ever smoked in his life. He told about Dwayne getting mistaken for a high-profile criminal and actually getting arrested, which they had to break into a maximum-security prison to bust him out in the 60s. He told about Marko having a short-lived career as a lion tamer at the local zoo, entertaining an audience consisting of the boys on a drunken night out and the zookeepers who had to chase them away and actually were able to keep their lives that night. He amended they were only able to do so because Paul bit Marko accidentally that night instead of one of the workers and David and Dwayne had to spend the rest of the night keeping them away from each other and keeping their pants on. When Michael pointed out that there had definitely been something going on there, David hummed in agreement, world perspective shifted as he wondered how he’d been so oblivious.

“More oblivious than _me_ ,” Michael laughed, avoiding David’s rebuttal in the form of a nip at his throat. The rain had stopped for a while but was softly picking back up, Michael able to hear the raindrops pattering against the window. He glanced over to the clock, surprised to see that it was nearly half past five already. He was exhausted but didn’t want David to stop telling him about his past, about his time with the boys - he seemed to be the happiest he’d been in days, but he was going to pass out if he was able to keep laying here, comfortable and cozy. “Come on, let’s go for a walk,” Michael suggested, already swinging his legs over the side of the bed and pulling on some jeans.

“A walk? Are you crazy? The sun’s almost up,” David informed him, a yawn escaping to prove his point. “Do you _want_ me extra crispy?”

Michael drew one corner of the blanket aside, revealing the still-overcast sky and heavy, pendulous clouds. “I don’t think the sun is going to be shining any time soon,” he mused, letting the blanket fall back. “It’s direct sunlight you can’t go out in, right? Think I have an umbrella in here,” he said, opening his closet door and rummaging around for a moment before pulling a large, black hooked umbrella from its depths. “Here.”

David considered this for a moment, not usually making an effort to go out between certain hours anyway, but Michael had a point. He didn’t see why he couldn’t go out if there was no direct sunlight shining. Hesitantly taking the umbrella, he pulled his boots on, silent as Michael pulled on his sneakers. “Why?” he asked finally, stifling another yawn. The tiredness was setting in, but he was more interested in finding out why Michael wanted to go on this little adventure with him. Michael tossed him his overcoat and a pair of his own winter gloves, which weren’t leather and therefore not nearly as cool, but he supposed they would work to cover his skin.

“You still haven’t told me much about yourself,” Michael explained, which really wasn’t much of an explanation at all, pulling David alongside him and out his bedroom door. “We’ll just go a little out past the house.” He brought a finger to his lips and David nodded once in understanding. He hadn’t been able to explore the Emerson abode much, kind of having a task in mind the first time he’d visited and the thing with Star didn’t give him much time downstairs either before Michael had shoved him back into his room. He supposed it was nice to get out of his host’s room for a bit under normal circumstances. Michael led him downstairs and out the back door, David reluctant once again as the sky, while still dark from the storm, was beginning to lighten a bit. He held the umbrella out in front of him, thumb on the button to deploy it but not willing to do so quite yet. Why did he let Michael drag him down here and why didn’t he feel any hesitation at all, trusting him? Had he really let Michael enchant him so much that he was willing to put his life at risk? Would it really be such a loss, if he did end up in flames? 

Michael appeared next to him, evidently gone to have gotten something. “Trust me,” Michael instructed in his ear, hand enclosing David’s own as he pressed the button on the umbrella, and goddamn if he wasn’t using his own half-vampire charm to calm David’s nerves. He brought the umbrella over their heads, Michael letting go as they stepped outside and closing the back door behind them. When he took a step out into the early morning air, he stopped for a second, eyes closing as he did so before a few moments went by and he was still un-combusted. “See?” Michael called from the back porch, fire extinguisher poised and aimed at David. “Told ya.”

David glared at him, mouth agape as he considered the scene. “Fuck you!” he threw out, but he was grinning, shaking his head and throwing his other arm up in disbelief. “ _That_ was your plan if I burst into flames? Extinguishing me?”

Michael shrugged as he set the contraption down, a victorious smile on his face as he joined David in the grass. “What? I was ready.” He took the umbrella from the vampire, seeing as he was the taller one, and set them on their way across the field. The rain fell around them, David pressing a bit closer to Michael so he wouldn’t get as wet, fussing like a cat. Michael held back a chuckle at the sight, wrapping an arm around David’s back comfortably as they neared the fenced edge of the yard. The horses ignored them for the most part, one sleeping while the others trotted around without a care in the world. It was getting light enough out to see the color in their manes, however faintly, the peaceful silence between them in the stillness of the morning being broken by David as he leaned against the fence. 

“I had a horse once.”

“Come again?” Michael asked, gaze sliding over to David, his eyes heavy and half-lidded. They’d need to go back inside soon lest the vampire take a nap right here and definitely become a one-man barbecue, but he was more intrigued at the sheer hint of David’s past life than anything.

David continued on, tone dripping with fondness as the memories resurfaced. “I named her Triumph. She was pretty quick, too. Got me out of a lot of trouble.” He didn’t need to imply that he was the one who caused the trouble as Michael was already well aware. “‘Til I met Max, at least.” He trailed off, Michael getting the sense that he felt he’d already shared too much. He hummed in thought, settling on an easy enough question that was burning at the back of his mind.

“How old were you when you were turned?” he asked, not putting David at more than twenty or so.

“Eighteen, but I’m actually turning one hundred this year.”

Michael reeled. “You’re the same age as me? Are you serious?” he asked, unable to hold in a laugh any longer. “You have a bad case of baby face. Must suck as a vampire.”

David snatched the umbrella, holding it just out of range enough that Michael got temporarily rained on for a few moments before he scrambled for the handle again. “Okay, okay! Sorry,” he said in between lingering giggles. David rolled his eyes, rubbing at his cheek to feel for the stubble there. “I can see why that’d be a sensitive topic for you, champ,” Michael continued, until David elbowed his ribs harder than he probably should have. 

“Good talk,” David seethed, fishing into his coat pocket to pull out a cigarette and his lighter while Michael was still doubled over.

The rain slowed to a drizzle and Michael helped David finish the cigarette, still rubbing at his sore ribs as the pair fell into a familiar silence once more. They crossed the field again, coming to a stop right outside the back porch as they watched the hazy morning storm lighten up. “Sorry. I’m just, you know, curious,” Michael offered, a genuine apology evident in his tone. “You’re so mysterious. It’s frustrating.” 

David snorted lightly, a small smile crossing his face. “If you knew all of my dirty little secrets, what would keep you coming back for more?” he asked teasingly, turning to face Michael as he traced a gloved finger down his chest.

“What _wouldn’t_?” came Michael’s easy rebuttal as he shut the umbrella, feeling David tense against him as he did so, but knowing that the clouds still looming overhead would protect them for just a bit longer before they started to clear. He could see David had shut his eyes again, feeling a bit sorry at how afraid of the sunlight he was. “It’s looking like I’ll always come back for more,” Michael said softly, lifting David’s chin with the knuckle of his finger, waiting for him to tentatively open his eyes again. They stood in the light rain shower, uncertain pale blue eyes staring into steely cerulean ones before Michael leaned down the rest of the way, drawing David into a passionate kiss that wiped away any further thoughts he might have had about Michael not actually caring about him. He took hold of Michael’s jacket lapel, pulling him in closer with the intention of deepening the kiss when they heard a throat clear behind them. 

Michael’s eyes flew open as he pushed away from David, feeling an intense fear he hadn’t felt in a long time as he regarded his grandfather who was currently standing there in the doorway, watching the two vampires with a raised brow. David looked as shocked as he felt, wide eyes fixed on the old man. Michael was unsure of what they should do, if he should just make a run for it upstairs before his mother or Sam had a chance to be told what happened. “Shit,” David voiced for him under his breath, finally letting Michael and his jacket go as he dug his hands in his coat pockets nervously.

“Just what I was thinkin’,” Gramps agreed, and to his credit, Michael was extremely impressed with how he was handling this so far. “Last time I saw you, you were wearing one of my best trophies, kid,” he went on, addressing David directly. David flinched at the comment but kept quiet, eyes cast downward as he glanced quickly at Michael, not wishing to make this any worse. “But I knew that couldn’t’ve killed you. Antlers are bone, not wood, and the angle was all wrong.”

“You knew he was here this whole time?” Michael asked in shock, though if he thought back on it, he got the sneaking suspicion that his grandpa had always known more than he let on. 

Gramps shrugged in response. “None of my business why you thought he was worth savin’. Not like he’s the one who tried to attack Lucy.” He turned to David again, waiting in silence until the vampire finally broke and made eye contact. “But listen here. We got rules. Family’s not on the menu, and that includes pets, got it?” he ordered and David nodded once, sharply.

“Got it.”

“And Michael?” his grandfather continued as Michael straightened up, giving his full, undivided attention. “Don’t make me stake either one of you.” He clapped Michael on the shoulder good-naturedly, smiling his usual disarming smile at his grandson. “Now, you two’d better get upstairs before the sun comes up and Lucy wakes up,” he warned, jabbing a thumb towards the house. “I’ll tell her you ain’t feeling so hot today so you can get some sleep.”

Michael was still rooted to the spot while David headed inside, holding the door open for him as he waited. “You’re not going to tell her? Or Sam?” he asked in disbelief.

“Seems like you know what you’re doing and nothing’s gonna change your mind. Don’t make me regret it,” his grandfather called over his shoulder as he walked off to feed the horses.

Michael stared after him, still not processing what the fuck had just happened. David had to grab his arm and drag him inside just as the first rays of sun were starting to peek through. They hurried upstairs, shedding their wet clothes and falling into the warm, welcome bed sheets, in the darkness once more.

“I like your grandpa,” David said with a hint of teasing in his voice. “He’s terrifying, for some reason.”

“I can’t even believe that happened,” Michael said in wonder, shaking his head as he wrapped an arm around David’s bare shoulder, pulling him in closer. “I guess that means we’re safe for now. Jesus, that could have been bad.”

David shrugged one shoulder as he settled into Michael’s own, letting his eyes fall shut. “Can’t keep me a secret forever, Michael. Eventually, they’ll find out.”

Michael sighed, closing his eyes as he tried to relax every tense muscle in his body. “Later rather than sooner, I hope.”


	6. and you can take all the pain away from me

A few days passed without incident, Michael able to feed David every other night and after a while, David seemed to have his strength back. This delighted him to no end as he spoke of how he’d never take his healing powers for granted again. Michael wasn’t feeling so hot himself and David immediately recognized why, sitting Michael down and explaining to him that he would need to feed soon or it would get worse. Michael had flat out refused, steadfast in his efforts to remain nonviolent as long as possible. David had sighed, clearly not understanding why the half-vampire was so averse to feeding, trying to cite how good it felt just to be fed from. 

“If that’s true, then let me feed from you for a bit,” Michael requested one late night, after David had returned from hunting on his own. He was hanging over the side of his bed upside down, watching David get changed into his more comfortable pajama pants, seeming to have taken a liking to them. Michael didn’t blame him - wearing leather pants and a leather jacket for years with a wool overcoat, only to be given soft fleece pants and a thin shirt? They were perpetually big on him too, which added to the adorable factor overall. He dared not say any of this to David’s face, but maybe a trip to the mall one evening would be nice, if just to get him a new wardrobe. Which Michael guessed he could keep in his closet. Had he officially moved in?

David groaned at the question, but more for dramatic effect than anything. “Michael, you really want to deprive me of the blood that I was finally able to get on my own?” he griped, helping himself to his host’s closet to fetch a shirt to sleep in for the approaching day. 

“Need I remind you that this whole thing is your fault?” Michael deadpanned, glaring at David’s bare back, though whether it was because he was angry or he was admiring the view was questionable. 

“It’s my fault you can’t suck it up and just kill someone already?” David muttered as he picked out a Star Wars shirt, holding back a laugh. “You’re a nerd? That’s so cute,” he razzed, ducking to avoid the pillow chucked in his direction. 

Michael sighed in frustration, sitting up as he caught the pillow as it was tossed back. “Come on. I have to spend the day with my family and you’re the one who’s been keeping me up all night. I have like zero energy.” 

“Fine, but you can’t depend on me for too long. My blood’s a placebo. It might make you _think_ you’re full, but you’re still gonna need some human blood soon.” David joined Michael on the bed, pulling aside the hair from his shoulders to expose his neck as he settled into the pillows. “Just a little.”

“Drain you dry, got it,” Michael agreed, giving a thumbs up as David rolled his eyes. He kneeled over David, placing a leg on either side of his, seating himself on his lap. One elbow rested on the bed while his other hand caressed the back of David’s head, holding him there in place as Michael’s fangs descended. He leaned in, hesitant despite knowing what David was, but he was still about to sink his teeth into another person’s neck like some kind of monster. Mind reeling from all the warning signs flashing through it, he was just about to pull away when David stopped him with a hand on the back of his neck.

“Let me help you with that,” he murmured, rolling his hips up deliberately against Michael’s, the breathy moan resulting from doing so intoned right next to his ear. He craned his neck, pressing it against Michael’s fangs, exhaling a laugh as his skin was pricked. Michael caught the first drop of blood that welled up on his lips before it could drip down David’s collarbone, taking the plunge and sinking his teeth fully into the waiting skin beneath. Blood filled his mouth instantly, even before he started to suck, the sensation of the liquid on his tongue going straight to his groin. He indulged, drinking the nectar down and felt reborn, only a fraction of how good it felt when he’d simply drank from the bottle. David slid against him again, the two sources of pleasure melting into one powerful, irresistible urge to gorge himself on the vampire’s blood. 

_That’s enough, Michael._

He heard David’s voice clear as day in his mind, but the body it belonged to was whimpering softly, one hand gripping in Michael’s curls like his non-life depended on it, the other digging nails into his hip. His fangs remained in David’s neck, sliding one hand behind his back to drag him closer as Michael continued to feed, meeting the rhythm David was attempting to set - slow, but threatening to pick up speed should either one of them cave. Michael had never tasted anything so sweet, so fulfilling in his life, wanting more just so he could remember the feeling later. David tugged hard on his hair, a sharp jerk downwards and he felt his fangs dislodge, saw blood flow and spurt freely out of twin holes before they sealed just as quickly, leaving only the trail of blood that had flowed from them. Michael lapped at it in earnest, savoring the taste before David pulled him close, covering his mouth in a fervent, feral kiss, tongue expertly avoiding the fangs still exposed as he did so. 

David had the foresight, somehow, to extend a hand between their joined bodies, quickly undoing the zipper on Michael’s jeans and pulling him out, doing the same for himself as he shimmied his own pants down just far enough to do so. The slick slide of skin on skin was irresistible, David’s hand still encircling them both as Michael drove his hips down into the bed, the bruising kiss muffling any obscene sounds either could make as they approached their finish. It didn’t take long at all before Michael was spilling over, breaking them apart to breathe air back into his screaming lungs, exhaling a strained moan from the back of his throat against David’s neck. He followed not long after, burying his face against Michael’s shoulder to repress his choked, erratic laughs. They lay there for a few minutes, Michael’s heavy panting filling the room, subsiding after a while as he regained his ability to think properly. David released him as he softened, urge satiated for the time being and he was already beginning to feel the pleasant, warming effect of David’s blood in him. 

“So, clearly I need to be with you the first time you feed from someone else,” David noted, head falling back against the pillow tiredly as Michael lifted his head, fixing him with a quizzical expression. 

“What?” Michael asked, and David really should have known better than to engage in conversation with him right after having a mind-blowing orgasm. He continued on, shifting a bit as he tried to use the sheets to wipe at the come he could feel running down the side of his stomach.

“If you’re dead-set on not killing anyone, you need to learn how much to take before you drain someone completely.” He gave up entirely, pulling off his pants and tossing them off to the side, sliding back underneath the blankets in just Michael’s borrowed shirt. “I had to pull you off of me just to get you to stop. No easy task, by the way, when your dick’s sliding against mine.” 

Michael sprung from the bed, clearly flustered as he tucked himself back in before deciding otherwise, reaching for a new, clean pair of jeans that didn’t have questionable fluids on the front. David grinned, watching the display with relish, his own urge satisfied, both from being able to feed Michael for a bit and from their little rendezvous. “So, no one has to die, right?” Michael continued the conversation, breezing past David’s lewd comment.

“People are always gonna die, Michael. Can’t stop that.”

“But I’m not gonna be the one to kill them.” 

David paused, uncharacteristically choosing to pick his words carefully. “Fine, but it’s just easier that way. Killing them means less questions. Not smart to leave witnesses.”

“Then can you kill them?” Michael asked quietly, ashamedly, and David felt a pang of guilt for the first time since he’d turned Michael. He viewed death as an inevitable, everyday occurrence, a byproduct of his needing to survive, but Michael still wasn’t quite on board, and he might never be. But rather than risk losing Michael and forcing him to kill or be killed himself from the vampiric curse should he not feed, David was willing to compromise. For Michael’s sake, for now.

The air was thick, tension heavy in the room as David really considered whether he would have to share his meals with someone else, to have to finish off their victims himself just so Michael wouldn’t see himself as a killer. This was unprecedented territory and David didn’t have all the answers Michael was probably looking for. Did that still make Michael immortal, if he never actually makes his first kill? If he drank enough human blood, would that make him a full vampire later anyway? Why the hell did Michael have to have such a big heart?

Was he really worth it?

“Yeah. I’ll kill them so you don’t have to.” David’s answer was quiet in response, unsure but not at the same time, like he couldn’t believe those words were coming out of his mouth. Why he was shacking up with some altruistic, naive half human that had nearly cost him his life and who he now had to protect his morality for was beyond him, but he knew he couldn’t leave. Didn’t want to, for that matter, still finding kinship in this beautiful, frustrating creature. If keeping Michael meant having to snap some necks and share his food, then so be it.

—————————————————-

“How far up can we fly?” Michael asked one night as they were listening to the radio, David busy occupying himself with rearranging Michael’s cassettes. He looked up from his pile, a smile crossing his face at the question as he threw yet another Doors tape into the ‘D’ pile.

“ _I_ can fly pretty far, but _you?_ I’d say maybe the height of a small child. Like your brother.” He sighed in frustration when Michael spread a hand across his bed, mixing the piles together until they were one big mess again. 

“Teach me how,” he requested, though it sounded more like a demand. He was already pulling on his jacket and putting his sneakers on, seeming to be determined to learn how to do so once and for all.

David stared at the pile longingly for a second before shrugging, rolling off the bed as well, getting dressed in his usual outfit sans his coat. They’d found him a new, hole-free leather jacket and that seemed to put him in better spirits, though the leather pants were something Michael had put his foot down on, saying that they were a tad dated. David promptly reminded him that he was from the late 1800s and that had ended that conversation. Still, since then, he’d been wearing Michael’s jeans more but it wasn’t clear to Michael if it was because he actually liked the style or because they simply belonged to Michael. 

“You have somewhere in mind?” David drawled as he stepped into his boots, also updated from the cowboy chic he had been fond of before to a simple lace-up instead. 

Michael nodded, a little nervous to say where and for what reason but hoping David would be amenable to it anyway. “The top of the ‘Welcome to Santa Carla’ sign. There’s supposed to be a meteor shower tonight.” 

David snickered, but when Michael asked what was so funny, he wasn’t expecting the response.

“I drew some graffiti on the back of that sign a while ago. Maybe you saw it - ‘murder capital of the world’?”

They went downstairs and out the front door, Michael deciding that he didn’t want his first flying lesson to be outside of his window and possibly breaking his leg, shooting David a glare when he reminded him that it would just heal by morning anyway. It was late night, nearing one in the morning so his family was asleep, except maybe his grandfather who seemed to almost be a vampire himself with his sporadic waking hours. The sky was clear, perfect for a celestial viewing party, and Michael breathed it in as he readied himself to learn all he could about taking flight. David watched him, amused.

“You need to stop overthinking it. It comes natural with the rest of your vampiric abilities.” He stood directly in front of Michael, taking both of his hands in his own before he started to lift off of the ground, levitating in mid-air before he kicked his legs back, laying on his stomach. “See? Nothing to it.” The pleased, self-satisfied smirk that just couldn’t seem to ever leave his face returned, though Michael was starting to find that he was willing to do a lot just to see it.

Michael watched as David floated, considering his advice and not trying to think too deeply on it, imagining himself as light as the wind currently howling around them. He closed his eyes, picturing him and David soaring above Santa Carla, the breeze underneath them as they glided, free and unattached. No cares, no worries, no responsibilities.

No judgement.

“He _can_ be taught!” David praised as Michael opened his eyes again, remaining hand in hand with the vampire as they both hovered a good couple feet off of the grass. Michael hesitated as he also extended his legs behind him, floating in the air on his stomach, same as David. “You’re a natural, Michael,” his instructor was commending, and Michael was laughing in pleasant surprise, and David was joining in. He couldn’t help but think of the last time they were in the air together and how different the circumstances were then, the almost proud smile on David’s face now a far cry from the determined stare of a predator he had possessed before.

David pulled the two of them up higher, Michael willing himself to ascend and he did, albeit shakily but he was flying, higher until the house started to shrink in size and this was different from just the few feet of height in the basement. He clung to David as he let one of Michael’s hands free, leading them through the air away from the house, not extremely high up but enough to make Michael question whether he had a fear of heights. “How do you feel?” David was asking him, grinning at his response.

“Free.”

It was a short distance to Santa Carla’s city limits, but Michael took in all he could, seeing the late-night glow of the boardwalk as it started to close down from an aerial view, the moonlight streaming across the beach, the taller trees they had to narrowly avoid slamming into, laughing as they played a game of chicken, much like they had on their bikes when they’d first met. Michael was busy having too much fun to notice the sky until David commented on it. “You’re missing your meteors,” he pointed out, Michael shrugging in answer as they neared the welcome sign, slowing and descending until they were sitting on top of it, legs dangling. 

“What are a couple of meteors missed if I’m immortal now?” he asked, a whimsical tone in place for such an existential speculation. When David didn’t answer, Michael looked over, seeing his head tilted back as his gaze was focused on the sky overhead. If he had heard Michael’s question, he gave no indication until his hand tentatively reached out to find Michael’s on top of the sign, resting his own on top.

“I don’t know if you’re immortal,” David started uncertainly. 

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Michael asked, confused.

“You gotta understand that half vampires aren’t exactly common, Michael. They either turn or they die from going too long without blood.” David sighed, knowing this probably wasn’t what Michael wanted to be hearing. “Your little plan to feed without killing might work and it might not. I have no idea, same goes for your immortality.”

Michael said nothing, pondering this and mulling over David’s words. It wasn’t exactly pleasant news, but he liked to think that he was fairly adaptable, able to go with the flow. Even if that meant figuring out how to be a vampire without killing anyone. “Makes sense, I guess,” he offered, though he didn’t sound thrilled.

“How do you not hate me for turning you?” came David’s question, all emotion sapped from his voice as he asked in a monotone. “I wanted you to be like me, but you didn’t want that. Don’t you hate me for ruining your life?”

Michael slid his gaze to the side, unaware that this had probably been eating away at David for a while. He moved his hand underneath David’s, holding it properly as he considered his response before laying his head down on David’s shoulder, looking up at the sky as well. “You were right. I didn’t have much going on for myself and when you and the boys were so eager to accept me, I didn’t care about much else,” he began, smiling to himself as he caught sight of a few meteors soaring through the sky. “I can’t say I would have said yes if you’d asked me before turning me, because I don’t know, but all I do know is this is how it turned out and you’re helping me through it. You could have just fucked off and left me to die.”

“Don’t thank me just yet,” David muttered with a sigh. “I’ll try to keep you alive as best I can.”

Michael settled into him more, gripping his hand in his own. “You better.”

David rested his head on top of Michael’s, the two vampires sitting comfortably together on top of the welcome sign as the night wore on, both feeling more vulnerable but never more sure of anything in their lives - that both were planning on never letting the other go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some more fluff before stuff starts happening [eye emoji]


	7. in love with all of these vampires

Another week passed and it was fairly obvious that David was getting restless. Michael still hadn’t broached the topic of if David planned to make his residence his official living arrangements or not, now that he had been fully healed for a good month or so and he could live back at the hotel or had someplace else in mind. Still, he came and went, hunting and feeding and god knows what else but he always came back to Michael before midnight so the two could spend the rest of the night together. He liked to think they were getting along fairly well, until the topic of David’s boredom came up.

It might have been because it was early evening and David had just woken up that he was grumpier than usual, but he was already mumbling complaints into Michael’s side as he stretched and tried to wake up more. Michael kept his amusement to himself but couldn’t hide the smile present on his face as he looked down at David’s sleepy face when it turned up to address him directly.

“Let’s go to the boardwalk. I haven’t been there since I killed that asshole for you and there’s supposed to be a concert later tonight. Take me.”

Michael considered this, closing the copy of _Vampires Everywhere_ he had snatched from Sam when he hadn’t been looking, just to see if there were any more answers for him but it was hard to decipher what was true and what was bullshit. He thought back to the pizza that they’d had two nights ago and how much garlic had been on it, obviously debunking one of their main vampire weaknesses. “Like, on a date?” he asked with a mischievous smile, feeling satisfied when David gave him what he wanted in the form of widened eyes and a stammered response.

“Y-yeah. Like a date.” It’d be the first time they went out in public together since they actually _got_ together, still skirting around exactly what they had going on. David had his own idea, as did Michael, but both were reluctant to try and label the thing, more content instead with skipping the awkward talk and going straight into snogging. “You know, carnival games, funnel cake. You could even win me a stuffed animal.” He’d been circling Michael’s chest with a teasing finger before booping his nose with it, rising from the bed after.

Michael recovered quickly, wrinkling his nose. “Who’s playing?”

David shrugged as he shed his sleep clothes, opting for a more date-appropriate outfit consisting of one of Michael’s dress shirts under his leather jacket, tucked into his leather pants. “Someone other than that guy on the sax,” he answered, putting in his earring in front of Michael’s mirror despite his reflection not appearing. “Fuckin’ finally.”

“Didn’t you say Paul was more into that kind of stuff?” Michael recalled, feeling like it was more than just a few weeks ago. “Why do you wanna go?”

David shrugged, raising his hands in surrender. “Maybe I just wanna show you off,” he answered with a smirk, voice dripping with arousal as he approached Michael still lounging on the bed, hand sliding around to grip him by the back of his neck. “Dangle you in front of everyone even though you know you’re mine.” He leaned in, lips just barely brushing against Michael’s teasingly. Michael stilled, despite being used to this kind of display, their little song and dance being familiar but he still couldn’t help the hitch in his breath when David came near and showed a bit of possessiveness. 

“Or maybe I’m just tired of being _trapped_ in here,” he finally continued, pulling away just as suddenly and pushing Michael back down onto the bed as if they weren’t moments away from starting their other usual nightly activities. “Now get up! You’re keeping your date waiting.” He stalked away, busying himself with throwing some nicer-looking clothes from Michael’s closet at him, followed by his jacket which might have hurt if Michael hadn’t caught it in time. 

“Fine, but if I’m taking you out, I’m driving,” Michael slid in quickly before he took the clothes and ran into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him before David could protest. He held back a laugh as he heard the doorknob rattle and David bitching about their transportation arrangement. He tried to clean himself up a bit, as it had been called a date and he should at least try to look somewhat nice. Running a comb through his curls didn’t do much to subdue them, but by the time he shaved and straightened up his outfit, he didn’t look as grungy as he normally did. When he exited, David was standing by the open window holding his keys protectively with a scowl on his face but once his gaze landed on Michael, an involuntary smile crossed his features.

“You look good,” he offered simply, dropping the keys into Michael’s waiting hand. “Shall we?”

“After you,” Michael recited like a gentleman, jumping a bit when he felt David land an open-handed smack on his ass. 

“That’s for making me ride bitch on my own bike.”

————————————————

They had used the window to fly down to the side of the house as they normally did now, Michael preferring it to having to sneak in and out through the main entrance. He walked David’s bike out to the main road and away from the house to avoid stirring up any suspicion, David finding the extra precaution amusing. “You’re a grown ass adult,” he pointed out, languidly floating on his back on the other side of the bike. “You can’t just go wherever you want?”

“You haven’t met my mom,” Michael mumbled as he kicked the stand down, climbing atop and patting the seat behind him.

“Actually, I did. She came into Max’s shop that first night we met. Seemed like she’d make _too_ easy a meal.” Michael glared at him for that comment, David knowing when to shut up at that look. “What? I’m just saying. Anyway, you’re right - I can see why Max wanted her. She has a good heart.”

“A good, _very much off-limits_ heart.”

David rolled his eyes as he finally descended a little to climb behind Michael. “I’m not gonna eat your mom, Michael. Besides, your grandpa scares me more than you do.” He wrapped his arms around Michael’s waist, resting his chin on his shoulder. 

“Hands to yourself this time.”

Michael didn’t need to hear the whine in frustration next to his ear as he started the bike up and set them on their way. The boardwalk was busy, even for the weekend, stands and vendors just starting to open their doors up for the night. The stage was still being set up for whoever was playing later which gave them a bit of time to mill about. David pulled him into the first carnival game stall they came across, a dinky little ring toss that was more than likely rigged. He was going to ask if David was serious, but when he looked back up, his date was pointing up at a stuffed lion at least half his size, hanging down in front of the game from one of the poles attached. Michael shook his head and pulled out his wallet, fetching a dollar for four rings. David watched silently from behind, a small smile on his face as Michael figured out the best position to toss from. “Good luck, Michael,” he whispered in his ear, leaning forward to peck his cheek while the vendor turned around to get some rings, stepping away to give him some room. 

The open display of affection surprised him a bit, but it also gave Michael some much-needed confidence as he tossed the first ring, missing any of the bottles completely by a good foot. His second and third rings ended up faring the same and as he lowered himself into a crouch, gripping the last ring in his hand so tightly it dug into his palm, he bit his lip as he focused on the front bottle in particular, tossing the ring and willing it to land perfectly circling the bottle’s neck. It bounced off pathetically and Michael sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair in irritation. “Sorry, David. I tried,” he started to say as he turned but was greeted by the sight of the vendor atop a ladder handing the stuffed lion down to David’s waiting, outstretched hands. 

“Thank you,” David said, over politely in the extreme, flashing a grin at the vendor as he hugged the ridiculous thing around its neck. He turned back to face Michael, giving a bark of laughter at his expression. “What? You wanna hold it too?” he asked, holding the stuffed animal out to Michael expectantly.

Movement off to the side of them caught Michael’s attention as he glanced away for a moment, David watching him with wide, innocent eyes when he turned back. “How’d you do that?” he asked, exasperated as he probably could guess the answer.

David pulled the lion back into his arms protectively. “I glamored him. Wouldn’t have had to but I didn’t know you sucked at tossin’ some rings.” He stuck his tongue out at Michael as they continued on down the boardwalk. 

“Thing’s rigged anyway,” Michael sighed, watching as David passed the giant lion off into some kid’s arms they were passing, the two able to weave into the crowd before the child’s mother even turned around to notice. “If they had one of those strength testers, then you’d get yourself a prize, no glamor needed.”

“Yeah?” David asked excitedly, threading his arm through Michael’s as he led him expertly through the sea of people, coming to a stop at another carnival game stand, this one holding the exact one Michael had mentioned. “Go on then, tough guy.” David crossed his arms, an amused smile on his face at the opportunity to witness this.

Michael swallowed, stepping forward as the oversized mallet was pushed into his hands. He looked up at the flashy high striker, knowing he was stronger than David probably thought but still self conscious regardless. Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself in front of the game, using his momentum to step forward and whack the mallet down onto the platform. The indicator soared upward but didn’t reach the top, stopping just above the halfway mark. Disappointing, but at least he’d made it that far. David was laughing behind him and Michael scoffed, pointing at the game. “You try it then, if it’s so easy,” he challenged.

David accepted it easily with a nod. “It _is_ so easy and I’ll prove it.” There was no way this skinnier-than-him punk with noodle arms was stronger than Michael, he felt fairly certain of that. Taking the mallet in hand, David whacked it down onto the platform easily with one hand, the other resting in his pocket. The indicator flew straight to the top, alarm buzzing as it reflected the top score. Michael watched in awe as David pointed to a stuffed bear this time, hugging it protectively around its neck just as he had done with the lion, rejoining Michael on the outskirts. “The word you’re looking for is ‘wow’,” he teased with his boyish little smile.

“There’s no way, you’re smaller than I am!” Michael exclaimed, genuinely dumbfounded at the events that had just unfolded.

“Vampire strength’s a hell of a thing,” was all David offered for an explanation, taking Michael’s hand to lead him off to the next stop. Michael caught something out of the corner of his eye again, the faintest feeling that they were being watched, but when he turned to confirm this, he saw no one there. He stared off for a bit before continuing on with David who had somehow been able to offload his bear onto some other kid, Michael finding the display a bit adorable considering David had said he didn’t like children. That or he just liked causing chaos in the form of parents wondering where these giant stuffed animals were appearing from.

They shared some funnel cake and Michael slowly started to relax, uneasy feeling from before dissipating as David told him about the history of the boardwalk and what had changed. He said that the guy playing the saxophone had been there almost as long as he had, which Michael was hard-pressed to believe, but David said he knew all of his songs by heart and sometimes wished he could be human again just so he could drink to forget them. Michael had laughed, glancing towards the stage as it looked like they were finished setting up and a crowd was starting to form around it. “Looks like they’re almost ready to start. You want a closer view?” 

“Yeah. If I wanna be able to see anything, we need to be near the front,” David sighed, standing from the bench they’d been sharing and taking Michael’s hand again. The two started for the concert area but Michael ran headfirst into someone else, even though he’d been watching where he was going. He let go of David’s hand, rubbing at his sore nose as he locked eyes with the stranger he bumped into, immediately feeling the sense of unease returning in full force. They stared at each other for a tense moment, the man’s eyes full of animosity as he tugged his black trench coat closer to his body, stalking away before Michael could get a word out. Michael stared after him, David’s voice being the thing to snap him out of his trance.

“That guy came out of nowhere,” he was saying, hand slipping back into Michael’s easily as he pulled him along. “Fuckin’ tourists.”

Michael agreed half-heartedly, preoccupied with trying to figure out why the man had filled him with so much trepidation. He could have just been pretty pissed about their collision, but Michael had a gut feeling that it wasn’t because of that. They couldn’t quite push their way to the front, but were able to pick a decent spot that David was able to see from anyway. Michael tried to clear his head, ignore the creeping, worsening gut feeling as it developed, choosing instead to focus on the band taking the stage. The pounding music served as a decent distraction for a while and he even caught David tapping his fingers along to the drums. A slower song started to play and the crowd began to sway from side to side, the people packed around them doing so as well. David looked over at Michael, giving him a shrug and a content little smile before he joined in. Michael put his arm around David’s shoulder, following his lead, feeling natural and comfortable showing casual affection for him out in public. The thought couldn’t help but bring a smile to his own face, but it quickly dropped as he looked across the crowd and found the same man he’d bumped into before staring directly at the two of them. Their gazes met again, this time Michael sensing extreme hostility from the look on his face. His grip on David tightened and he started to see amber on the edge of his eyesight, feeling the smallest prick on his tongue from his fangs making an appearance as he lowered his head slowly.

“Michael?” David asked over the loudness of the music, turning their conversation internal when he didn’t get an answer. _Are you okay?_

Breaking off their stare down, Michael turned away, leaning down to speak into David’s ear. “Let’s go. Something feels...off.” David didn’t argue, ducking their way through the crowd to a quieter, more secluded area as Michael reached into his pocket for the bike’s keys. He regretted parking so far away from the boardwalk now as they walked down the darkened street. 

“You gonna tell me what’s going on?” David asked eventually, hands shoved into his jacket pockets. “Thought we were having a good time.”

“We were,” Michael agreed automatically. “But someone was watching us.” They passed by a few abandoned buildings, Michael looking over his shoulder down a few of the alleyways as they did so.

David scoffed. “So? Why wouldn’t they, with how hot we are?” he asked with a laugh. “I’d get used to it, being out with me now.” He bumped into Michael’s arm, sighing loudly when his efforts went unnoticed. “Come on. I’m sure it was nothing.” He hadn’t said as much before an object was flying past them, Michael just catching it out of the corner of his eye as he pushed David back. 

“What the hell?” Michael asked, recognizing the object now as a sharpened stake, probably sanded down from a table leg. It landed a good distance away from them and before he could investigate further, David was taking his hand and ushering them down the alleyway. 

“Michael, run!” he was yelling, another stake whizzing past them as they tried to dodge the assault. Taking a moment to turn around and see who was pursuing them, Michael shouted in pain as one ripped through his jacket and struck his shoulder, David cursing loudly as he pulled him by his good arm to hide behind a dumpster. “Shit! It’s a hunter.”

“It’s that guy I ran into on the boardwalk,” Michael confirmed through gritted teeth, holding his bleeding shoulder wound as blood seeped through his fingers. “He was stalking us the entire night. I should have told you earlier.”

“Come out, come out wherever you are, bloodsuckers!” the vampire hunter taunted, giddy voice sounding way too close for comfort. David sighed, peeking his head around the side of the dumpster before bringing it back just as quickly, another stake zipping past where his head had just been.

“He has a crossbow. Innovative,” David remarked, features already starting to shift as his vampiric blood took over. “I’ll take care of this. Stay here,” he told Michael, flying into the air before Michael could protest. He wanted to do something to help, didn’t want David facing this by himself in case he wasn’t able to beat the hunter but the pain in his shoulder stopped him. Hearing a yell of agony from David, Michael pushed past the ache, rising from his crouched position and stepping from behind the safety of the dumpster. He was greeted with the sight of David holding the hunter from behind in a vice-like grip, one of his hands still smoking lightly from the singed, light pink flesh. The crossbow had been tossed aside along with what he assumed was the man’s ammo, a cloth bag full of stakes. A vial of what could only be holy water was smashed on the ground, broken glass shards littering the street underneath them. The hunter was reaching for what looked like a cross around his neck, but as he popped off the top of the cross with his teeth, Michael had the sense to warn David of the imminent attack. 

“David, watch out!” he shouted, David ducking his head at the last second as the hunter tried to splash his face with the hollowed-out cross containing more holy water. David growled, yanking the arm that had been holding the cross behind the hunter’s back swiftly, Michael cringing at the audible crack and the man’s scream of agony. David had him by his underarm on his other side, holding the man in front of him as he struggled. 

“Let’s see what we have here,” he taunted, hissing in pain as he readjusted his grip, the skin on his hand bubbling and already starting to blister. “You really thought it was smart to attack two vampires at once? Did you _plan_ on getting your throat ripped out tonight?”

The man was whimpering, but the hatred in his voice was still unmistakable. “If you kill me, someone else will just come after you,” he managed, gasping in anguish as David held his arm up higher behind his back. “You have no idea how many of us there are, wanting to rid Santa Carla of you sinners once and for all.”

Michael flinched, the possibility that actual, professional vampire hunters besides the Frog brothers were out there, waiting to drive a stake through him. They didn’t even need to try that hard, if he was still half human, the thought sending a chill down his spine. He’d need to be more careful, and David would too - they hadn’t even revealed themselves too much and someone had been able to catch on.

“Michael!” David was calling out to him, predatory gaze fixed on him now instead. “Now would be the perfect time for you to get your first taste of human blood.” 

The hunter directed his attention at Michael now as well, a hopeful look in his eyes, washing away any abhorrence he had before. “First taste? You’re only half? Then there’s hope for you!” he was spouting, arm waving wildly as he talked. David caught it and bent that one behind him as well to join it with the other. “I can help you! Just grab one of those stakes and kill this abomination! You can be human again!”

Michael watched the man try and bargain, but his words rang hollow, his decision already made. Any hope of him being human again meant killing David and that just wasn’t an option. “Actually, I can’t,” Michael informed him, stepping forward. His shoulder pulsed with discomfort each step he took, but he ignored it, finding the soreness in his gums to be non-existent now, strangely. “Being human again would mean killing the guy holding you right now and I’m not gonna do that.”

“Then you’ll perish along with him,” the hunter warned, actual terror beginning to seep through his voice. “Both of you are going to hell.”

David watched Michael approach, his fanged grin spreading across his face as he leaned down to whisper into the hunter’s ear. “See you there,” he sang as Michael’s fangs attacked the other side of the man’s neck, letting go of his arms as he seized and the scream in his throat died out. He let Michael drink for a few moments before pulling him off, true to his word about not letting Michael kill anyone. He sank his teeth into the side of the man’s neck Michael hadn’t fed from, feeling his feather-light pulse still thrumming away as best as it could under his tongue before it stopped completely, David sucking the last of his blood out before he threw the corpse aside, behind the dumpster they had hidden behind before. Rejoining Michael on the ground, he knelt down, bringing Michael’s chin up to look him over, pale blue meeting icy blue once more as their hunger was satiated. “How’d that taste?” he asked, trying not to lean down and lick the blood still evident around Michael’s mouth.

“Delicious,” Michael answered, his own response terrifying himself.

——————————————————-

Michael grumbled about David driving them home, citing that his shoulder wasn’t too bad but he was wincing with every hole they managed to hit. He watched David’s hand as it was just barely holding the clutch, only enough to be able to steer, the gripping motion probably too much of a strain. He felt terrible, like it was his fault, and maybe if he’d told David sooner, they could have figured out a plan to deal with the hunter. But he was also upset at David for just flying off into trouble headfirst without a second thought, finding the act reckless and idiotic. Most of all, though, he was just grateful they had both managed to make it out alive. David drove the bike up to the darkened side of the house as usual, Michael not even caring that much if someone in the house heard the sound of the engine going, nor what time it was. He’d had a brush with death - or at least, someone who _wished_ he was dead - and that was enough to set him on edge a bit. He flew up to his window with David, making sure to avoid hitting his shoulder on the window frame as they climbed back inside of his room.

“Let’s see the damage,” David requested, pointing to Michael with his good hand as he carefully shrugged off his jacket, holding his burned one to his chest protectively. Michael complied, with a little help from David, removing his jacket as well and tossing it near his trash can as it was ruined now anyway, the thought making him even more annoyed. “The shirt too,” David added, going to undo Michael’s buttons for him then realizing it was a two-handed job, sheepishly taking a step back as Michael undid the buttons and pulled off his shirt. David sucked in a breath as he surveyed the damage, Michael sneaking a look down as well. “Didn’t go all the way through, but it got you pretty deep,” he assessed, giving a shrug. “Damn lucky, too. A little lower and we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” He chuckled lowly, leaning forward a bit as he pricked his tongue on his fangs, a small amount of blood filling his mouth which he licked onto Michael’s shoulder over his wound. The sensation was strange but it already started to ache less, the bleeding stopping as well. David stepped back, happy with his handiwork. “You’re welcome.”

Michael stayed quiet, saying nothing as he silently stewed, poking at the open wound just to see if it would still hurt. Looking up right as David was trying to get the button undone on his pants and hissing again in pain, he sighed, striding forward and reaching to do the task himself. “I’ll be right back,” he told David, who just looked confused more than anything, watching after Michael as he vanished into the bathroom.

Opening the medicine cabinet, he pulled out a half-full tube of burn cream containing aloe and a roll of bandages, trying not to notice his nearly invisible reflection in the mirror as he closed it again. David was sitting on the bed, still in his unzipped pants when he got back, nursing his hand as he tried to kick off his boots as well without untying them. Michael sat down next to him, wordlessly holding out his hand, waiting for David to understand and offer it willingly. Once he did, he applied a bit of the aloe, ignoring David’s jump of surprise and whining in pain as he did so before wrapping up his hand with the bandage as best as he could. David watched him with a glare, something feeling off about Michael’s behavior but the best way he knew to find out what it was involved teasing. “You’re not even gonna kiss it better?” he asked as Michael got up to put the supplies away. “Even after I saved your life?”

Michael seethed, slamming the items in his hands down onto his dresser as he whipped around. “If I hadn’t warned you, you’d be missing half your face right now!” he threw out. “You know, how Paul died?”

David sprung to his feet immediately, cornering Michael against his bedroom door, much like he’d done a few weeks ago. “Paul died because of your brother and his two idiot friends,” he said, tone even and deadly. 

“Yeah, and I didn’t want you ending up the same way,” Michael answered, unthreatened by the display. “You can’t heal as easily from holy water, can you?” he asked, referencing what he had read in _Vampires Everywhere._ David’s silence was all the confirmation he needed as he continued. “What the hell were you thinking, flying into danger like that? He had a goddamn crossbow!”

David rolled his eyes, scoffing. “I’m a vampire, Michael. I could have handled a stake going anywhere that wasn’t my heart, but you? You’re still half human, _meaning_ you could still bleed out.” He pointed at Michael’s shoulder to make his point. “This shit wouldn’t have happened if you’d just told me what was going on in the first place.”

“You’re right, I should have. But that still doesn’t excuse the fact that you were planning on taking a vampire hunter down by yourself when you could have gotten hurt or worse,” Michael accused, taking the items in hand again to drop them off in the bathroom as he started on his way. “You should have known better, with what happened to the others.”

“Why the fuck do you even care so much?” David snarled as he stepped forward to grab Michael with his injured hand before he could get very far, crying out in pain as he did so. 

Michael’s frustration with the situation boiled over as he threw the medical supplies to the floor, taking hold of David’s wrist of his burned hand and pinning it above him as he shoved him against the door. “Because I love you, you asshole!” he snapped, leaning in close so hopefully, David would listen this time. “How am I supposed to be with you if you’re fucking dead?”

David stilled, going slack in Michael’s grip as he stared at the half vampire in disbelief. “Love?” was all he could repeat quietly, looking like a deer in headlights.

Michael faltered as he watched David’s expression change from vicious to completely caught off guard, shaking him by his arm. “Love,” he confirmed as he did so, trying to look anywhere else except the vampire’s lips, failing to do so as he weakly continued on. “I almost lost you once, David. Don’t make me go through that again.” The kiss he initiated was angry, bruising in an effort to punish David for making Michael worry like he’d done before. It was enough to rip David out of his stupor, melting into Michael’s touch as he roughly tugged David forward by his belt loops, sliding his knee in between his legs. The contact made David gasp in surprise, not expecting this dominating aura Michael was exuding, but certainly not opposed to it either. 

With his free hand, he reached in between them to try and pop the button on Michael’s pants, breaking their contact momentarily as he did so with a breathless laugh. “You know what I am, Michael. I can’t promise it won’t happen again,” he was trying to explain, train of thought lost when he finally got Michael’s jeans undone. He stopped thinking entirely when he felt one of Michael’s hands slide under his ass, the other hand that had been holding his wrist letting it go to curl around his back, lifting him into the air. Michael didn’t give him time to react before he was capturing his mouth again, taking a second to tap the side of David’s leg, wordlessly telling him to wrap both around his waist. David didn’t need to be told twice, holding on as Michael took a second longer to kiss him against the door before leading them both away from it and towards the bed. David had the amusing thought that this might have been because he laughed at Michael earlier about how strong the half vampire was and he had decided that now would be a good chance to showcase it. Not that David was about to complain, trying to get the buttons on his own shirt undone but failing to do so, wincing in pain when their frenzied affection caused him to brush his hand against Michael’s chest. His focus was broken momentarily as he looked down to try again, a chill of delight going down his spine as Michael growled in irritation, hooking his fingers in the collar of David’s shirt and yanking it apart, some buttons going flying as he did so. David helped the rest of the way, letting what remained of the shirt fall off of his shoulders and down his arms as he reconnected with Michael, as if they’d hardly missed a beat.

Michael let him fall back onto the bed, dragging him down to the edge by his belt loops, trying not to salivate as he saw that David was bare under his pants, expecting to have to get through another layer of clothing. David evidently caught wind of his pleasant surprise, breathing a laugh as he sat up on his elbows to watch. “Weren’t expecting that, were you?” he asked, shutting himself up with a choked gasp as Michael snuck a hand in and began to pull on him languidly. With David distracted, he shimmied his pants the rest of the way down his legs, all while keeping the same rhythm as he pumped him slowly. 

“Wasn’t expecting to fall for a fucking _vampire,_ ” Michael murmured almost dreamily, nearly getting hypnotized by the steady way David was intoning his name, his voice turning it obscene and indecent. His head fell back in unrestrained pleasure as Michael increased his speed, alternating between soft panting and profanity directed at the ceiling, directed at Michael himself when his thumb circled David’s slit. He tried to say something, to speak coherently but gave up altogether, instead tapping his temple weakly as he fell back against the bed, biting down on the knuckle of his good hand to muffle himself. Michael tilted his head as he watched the scene unfold, fascinated and utterly more turned on than he’d ever been in his life. He cleared his mind, thoughts focusing and twisting until they were in David’s voice, in his head, his inner monologue going haywire.

 _-cking slow_ **_down_ ** _Michael please don’t wanna come yet fuck want you inside faster god-_ David’s thoughts entered his mind unfiltered, unyielding until Michael shook his head, breaking their mental connection. The possibilities weighed down on him, of what he wanted to do to David, of _how_ he wanted him, of what this would mean later and how he just didn’t fucking _care_ what it would mean later. His hand was still moving on David and he could still hear David’s subdued pleas until he stopped abruptly, finding it took more willpower than he was anticipating to do so. David gave an audible whine, picking his head up from the bed to glare at Michael despite what he was begging for moments ago. “What the hell? Talk about serious blue balls,” he griped in between heaving breaths, stilling entirely as he watched Michael shove his jeans and boxers down in one go, kicking out of them and fixing David with a look dripping of pure, unadulterated lust. 

“You know, you give some pretty mixed messages,” Michael teased, dropping down on the bed to his knees to lick a long, slow line up David’s length, just to feel him writhe under his touch. _Do you want me here or not?_ he asked nonverbally, knocking David’s legs aside with his own to spread him open as he continued his exploration lower. He slid his hands under David, lifting his hips enough to get exactly where he wanted to be, lowering his head to push his tongue forward against David’s entrance. Feeling David seize at the contact, he worked to open David up with soft flicks of his tongue, deliberately restraining from touching him anywhere else, much to his dismay. Michael listened in anticipation, savoring every hitched breath and aborted scream David was experiencing from his ministrations.

David’s hand in his hair, pulling roughly was enough to get him to pause as he looked up from under his lashes. “Michael, if you don’t fuck me soon, I’m going to rip out your neck with my teeth,” he threatened, voice needy and weighted with desire. The warning rang hollow to Michael, but he was curious to see how far he could actually keep David on the edge before he did retaliate. It wouldn’t be fair, though, not when Michael initiated their coupling and David was so willing underneath him. He shifted David forward a bit so he could join him on the bed properly, slotting himself in between his legs, teasing by mere proximity as David wrapped his legs around Michael’s waist instinctively. 

“Is that a promise?” Michael murmured, bending down to pepper kisses along David’s lower stomach, hands holding him on either side of his hips. David didn’t answer, any further attempts at communication halted as he tried to wrap his head around the situation, around feeling Michael’s length brush against him and it was taking everything inside of him to give up control. To trust Michael enough and let that control that he was so used to taking go for one night. He watched Michael struggle internally, despite being so fucking _close_ and David wondered what it would take to see him lose that restraint. “I don’t wanna hurt you, maybe I should get some lotion or something-“

David growled in frustration, shoving himself down onto Michael as he pulled him closer at the same time. The sound that echoed from them both was music to his ears, Michael’s gasp in shock and his own strained cry of pleasure mingling into one. Michael wavered but tightened his grip on David’s waist as he adjusted to the feeling of being inside, different from his previous experience, but somehow infinitely better. David arched his back as he tried to move the slightest bit, the motion pulling the faintest groan from Michael’s throat. He pulled out and pushed forward experimentally, David swearing incoherently as he did so, shakily lifting himself with his good hand so he could watch. A few more thrusts, albeit tentative until Michael found his rhythm, had David moaning wantonly, increasing in volume as Michael was able to slide in further each time. He collapsed back down on the bed, his hand venturing down his body with a pretty obvious goal until Michael slapped it away. Prying one of David’s legs from around his waist, he bent it in midair, changing the angle enough so he could lean over David’s chest. His other arm found David’s injured hand, pinning it to the bed a little further away so the idiot wouldn’t hurt himself by accident. 

“You’re not gonna come that easily,” Michael decided, his own voice rougher than he ever imagined it could be. David whined weakly in what might have been a protest but cut himself off, inhaling sharply as Michael’s tongue found a nipple, teasing it lightly before biting down, luckily with his non-sharpened teeth. He slowed his movements, taking time to play with David, who was clearly not pleased with the change in pace. 

“Fuck, Michael, _move_ already,” he pleaded, his free hand flying to Michael’s lower back, digging his nails in bitingly. “Stop being a goddamn tease.” He bit back a shout of shocked pleasure as Michael shoved him up the bed a good inch, the thrust he initiated hitting against him in a way that he nearly saw stars. “Shit! Right - right there,” David panted out as Michael pulled back, snapping his hips forward again with the same fervor. He wouldn’t have guessed that David coming apart meant that he would curse like a sailor, but the profanity being uttered next to his ear spurred him on even more, hoping to coax more pretty sounds out of the vampire.

Without warning, he let go of the grip he had on David and pulled him up onto his lap instead in one quick movement, leaning back on his knees, all without breaking their contact. David’s thighs fell on either side as he tried to adjust to the new position, Michael not granting him much reprieve as he rocked David down onto him, holding him in place with a bruising grip on his hip. His other hand found purchase in David’s hair, pulling on it just enough to expose his throat to Michael. David’s uninjured hand dug claw marks high on Michael’s back, his bandaged one resting lightly on Michael’s shoulder for support. Michael buried his teeth in the side of David’s neck, human at first but as David started to ride him faster, his fangs took an interest, descending involuntarily and pricking the flesh below. Blood trickled into his mouth, the sweet taste flowing across his tongue and he felt David jolt against him from the unexpected pain but he was moaning freely despite it. Michael only drank for a few moments, not able to last much longer to take in any more, David’s blood on his tongue and his whispered pleas and the tight heat he kept burying himself into ultimately pushing him over the edge. His climax hit him like a goddamn tidal wave, dislodging his fangs from David’s neck as he groaned a guttural exhale against it, feeling himself release into the body still clenching around him. 

“Michael, please don’t - don’t stop,” David was begging in his ear, voice utterly wrecked from abuse. Michael rode through the peak of his orgasm as he drove his hips up as far as he could, plunging up into David and bringing them chest to chest. He fisted David’s long, blond hair, noticing the way the nails in his back dug in deeper when he did so and noting that for later. His other hand slipped between them, finding David’s length already leaking with precome as he quickly matched his pumping to his thrusts. It wasn’t long after that David was spilling over in his hand, seating himself down firmly on Michael as he reached the denouement of his release, his shaky moans culminating as Michael continued to stroke him until he was spent. 

Neither moved for a few minutes, the sound of their heavy panting being the only thing filling the room as it slowly evened out. Michael was covered in a thin layer of sweat and David’s come, mixed with his own release as it had slowly seeped out of David and down and around his thighs. David hadn’t yet pulled away, his arm clinging around Michael’s back and his chin still resting on his shoulder. His lack of breath was disconcerting after Michael had heard it in stereo, finding it amusing that David still sighed and exhaled and panted despite not needing to do so, wondering if it was habit. When he felt David’s shoulders shake the faintest bit, Michael retreated, planting a small kiss in his hair as he ran his fingers lightly down David’s back. “David?” he asked worriedly, voice quiet compared to the groans that were being ripped from his throat not that long ago. 

David finally leaned back, his eyes misty and tearful but he rubbed his good hand across his face to wipe it away before any threatened to fall. He tried to open his mouth and say something, words catching in his throat so he cleared it and tried again. “Michael, that was…” he started, unable to keep the hint of a smile off of his face, unable to describe the unbelievable sex that had just occurred, and started because of a fight, no less. “I love you, too,” he settled on instead, meeting Michael’s gaze as he said it, a weight lifted off of his shoulders that he didn’t have to hide his overwhelming feelings for this beautiful, maddening creature anymore. When he met Michael on the boardwalk just a short time ago, he never would have imagined being able to be here with him like this, emotions he hadn’t had towards anyone else in decades bubbling over in the extreme. The fleeting, terrifying thought that Michael might not be immortal struck him but he shoved it away quickly, distracting himself by capturing Michael’s lips in a soft, saccharine kiss. 

Michael kissed him back, lazily drawing David’s tongue out to play as he gently held him by his waist, making sure not to hurt him as he pulled out. He laid David back down on the bed, drawing the sheets aside so they could slip underneath. “So, are you my boyfriend now?” Michael asked with a cheeky grin, laughing when David shuddered at the word.

“God, no. I might have been about eighty-three years ago, when I was _actually_ eighteen,” he mused, tone still light to show that he was kidding. “But now that I’m almost a hundred, I think ‘partner’ might be a more fitting word for us.”

“Is that because you used to be a cowboy?” Michael deadpanned, shriek of delight muffled as David produced a pillow from thin air and shoved it down over his face. “What? You said you had a horse!”

David rolled his eyes, allowing the pillow to be taken from him in surrender as he settled back down into Michael’s side. “Whatever we are, I’m...excited. And kind of nervous.”

“Nervous?” Michael asked curiously, pulling the blanket up over them as he felt David start to cool off again now that they were resting. “I know I’m not your first. Haven’t you ever felt this way about someone else in your long life?”

“Not this strongly,” David said, shaking his head. “And definitely not about a half vampire. Full ones and a few humans, sure, but this is different. I have no idea if you’ll live as long as I will.” He sounded wistful, melancholia setting in as they talked about the future. “If you won’t, seems like a bad idea to get attached now.”

Michael stayed quiet, considering this. He didn’t have an answer for David, but got the feeling that one wasn’t needed at the moment. He did what he knew how to do best when David got like this - distract and tease. “You know, you fucked pretty good for an old man.”

He couldn’t compete with David’s vampire strength as he was shoved out of the bed and onto the floor, the sound of his laughter drowned out by David’s one good hand around his throat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whew that sure was a lot [double eye emoji]


	8. you can take off your skin in the cannibal glow

Michael got some of the best sleep he’d ever had in his life that morning, glad that it was Saturday and he could hopefully stay in bed for a while without having to worry about family responsibility. His stomach was full, his heart was full, and the little fact that he was still a half vampire which usually ate away at him wasn’t even a thought in his mind. He’d woken up on his own, disappointed that his body was rousing him so early, but maybe he could actually get some reading done while David was asleep or he and his mom could get Sam and their grandfather in on a game of poker. He sifted through the possibilities as he started to wake up, clicking on the light next to the bed to illuminate the dark room a bit. The doorknob to his room rattling and turning immediately set him on high alert, his reflexes faster than he ever imagined possible allowing him to throw the blanket up over David’s head as he tried to look natural. Sam’s face appeared as he threw open Michael’s door, holding a stack of board games that was nearly as tall as he was. 

“Michael! Look at all the games me and mom found in grandpa’s basement,” he was saying, kicking the door closed behind him as he stepped forward into Michael’s room. “I know you cheat, but today’s gonna be the day that I finally beat you in Candyland. Come on, get up! It’s already like ten.” 

The panic in Michael’s brain was set off exponentially as Sam got closer, but he couldn’t exactly do anything about it, considering he was fucking naked and the more pressing issue that there was a fucking naked vampire in his bed with him. That his little brother believed was dead. He wasn’t sure what matter would be tackled first - Sam questioning his state of undress, David being alive, or his sexuality. None of the choices seemed very appealing. “Okay, Sam, I’ll meet you downstairs and we can play. Okay?” he asked, hastily holding a hand out as he addressed Sam while the other held up the blanket over his waist. 

“Whoa, what happened to your shoulder?” Sam asked as he strode to the other side of the bed.

“Sam, wait-“ Michael tried, but before he could stop him, Sam was dropping the pile of board games onto the space currently occupied by a sleeping David.

Echoing yells filled his room, one of surprise from Sam and one of pain from David as the games bounced off of his back, some sliding to the floor and some strewn across the bed as he sat up, blinking his bleary eyes at the wake up call. “What the fuck, Michael?” he asked, confused at the look of wide-eyed terror on Michael’s face until he followed his line of sight, turning his head to see a near-identical expression on his younger brother. “Oh. Hey,” he greeted awkwardly, trying to turn off his own thoughts as all he could hear at the moment was Michael screaming. 

“Hey?” Sam asked uncertainly, eyes flicking to Michael for some kind of guidance here, but he looked as stupefied as Sam felt. None of the boys spoke for a minute afterwards until Michael cleared his throat, running a hand through his hair anxiously. 

“Sam, could you give us a minute?” he asked as nonchalantly as he possibly could, given the situation. Sam looked between the two of them, realization dawning in his features.

“Are you two...naked under there?”

“ _Sam!_ ” Michael bellowed, pointing towards his door. “Out. And if you tell mom, I will end you.”

Sam blinked, slowly backing out of the room with his arms raised in surrender, closing the door behind him. As soon as he did, Michael quite literally flew out of the bed. “Shit, shit, shit!” he was hissing, picking up a random pair of jeans off of the floor and shoving his legs into them, doing the same as he scrambled for a shirt. David watched him, feeling like he should say or do something to help the situation.

“Should I-“

“No!” Michael barked at him, leaving the same way Sam had. David nodded once even though Michael had already left the room, unsure of what he should do now.

“Too early for this,” he muttered to himself, sinking back down into the sheets to wait and hopefully drift off again.

Michael took a deep breath to calm his nerves, relief swelling inside him when he saw Sam was still at the top of the stairs, looking like he’d seen a ghost. He probably thought he had. “Look, Sam, this whole thing is...complicated,” he attempted, trying not to appear as flustered as he felt.

“Complicated?!” Sam practically screeched, evidently that being the thing to pull him from his shock. “I-I thought he was dead! You told us you got rid of him! I didn’t know that meant into your bed!” He paced up and down the hallway as he flipped out, waving his hands while trying to figure this out. 

Michael sighed, failing to get a word in edgewise while Sam was ranting like this, ever since they were younger. Once Sam started riling himself up about something, there wasn’t much that could stop him. “He was hurt, Sammy. I didn’t know what else to do.”

Sam gawked at him, looking as if he had a million more questions and concerns than he was humanly capable of spouting out. “He’s been staying here this whole time? That’s - I can’t even believe - how did you hide him for so long?” he finally settled on, not giving Michael enough time to answer before he launched into another barrage of questioning. “Why didn’t you tell us? He tried to _kill_ us, Michael! We _have_ to tell mom.” He tried to start his descent downstairs, but Michael flew in front of him before he could, holding his hands out in surrender.

“Sam, stop. Please, before you tell mom, let me just try and explain. Can you do that?” Michael pleaded with his younger brother, desperation filling his voice, hoping Sam would be mature enough about this to respect his wishes. Sam was rooted to the spot, staring at Michael like he had two heads.

“Michael, are you...are you still a vampire?” he breathed incredulously. 

Michael closed his eyes as he exhaled a breath he had been hanging onto for a while. “Um, yeah, sort of,” he answered hesitantly.

“Mom! _Mom!_ ” Sam cried out as he ducked under Michael’s arm, racing down the stairs. Michael swore as he turned on his heel, taking the steps three at a time before jumping over the railing before he got to the bottom, reaching out to grab Sam as he placed a firm hand over his mouth and drew him in by his shoulders. 

“Come on, Sam! Don’t-“ Michael hissed in his ear as he struggled to hold onto his fussing sibling, forgetting how wily Sam could be. Lucy poked her head out from the kitchen, confused as to why her sons were appearing to be in the middle of a fight. 

“Did you call me, Sam?” she asked in her usual sweet voice and Michael felt his face drain of color as Sam’s errant elbow knocked against his nose, seeing stars for a few moments from the pain.

“Mom! Michael’s still a vampire!” Sam relayed in a half breath to their mother before Michael was grabbing for him again, ignoring the blood beginning to drip down from a nostril as he went to put Sam in a headlock. 

Lucy appeared shocked, her eyes widening as she took in the information, struggling to believe what Sam said was true. “What? Why would you think that, Sam?” she asked in confusion as her features set in stone, her mom voice coming out for a moment. “Michael! Let go of your brother.”

Michael slowly released Sam’s head, moving warily as he regarded his mother and his brother while wiping a bit of the blood from his nose. Sam pointed an accusing finger at him. “That one blond vampire’s up in his room with him! I saw him!” he shouted, stilling when he spotted Michael’s translucent reflection in the mirror. “Look!” he told Lucy, gesturing at the mirror as she came around the corner of the kitchen to see, hand on her chest worryingly. They stood there, Michael in the middle of his family’s solid reflections, twin expressions of fear looking directly at him, regarding him with apprehension. Michael met his own barely visible gaze, mouth hanging open in apparent fear before he bolted from the spot and back upstairs, not thinking of anything else to do as he slammed his door shut, leaning against it as his breath came in heavy pants. David startled from the intrusion, lifting his head from the pillow.

“Michael?” he asked carefully, noting the frightened look on his face and the overall jittery nature he was exuding. 

“I’m screwed,” Michael said in a monotone, sinking to the floor defeatedly, drawing up his knees to his chest. “They’re gonna hate me forever.”

David slid off the bed, pulling on a pair of bottoms so he would be decent as he approached Michael warily. “I dunno, you guys do have a pretty good codependency thing going on,” he mused, crouching down to join Michael on the floor. When he got no response, he sighed, placing a comforting hand on Michael’s back. “Michael, you told me Sam would still love you even if you were still a vampire, and your mom’s like, the mommiest mom I’ve ever seen,” he said, words coming out rough but he hoped his gist would come across. “What’s your plan here?” he asked as Michael still seemed unresponsive.

Michael shrugged in defeat. “I was going to try and run away,” he answered honestly, David laughing derisively at the idea.

“And leave me here to deal with your family by myself? You know I’m trapped in here,” David reminded him, Michael immediately feeling even more guilty that he was right. With the sun shining outside, there was no way David could escape, if something happened. 

“Fuck. I’m sorry,” he apologized, burying his face in his knees as he heaved a sigh. David pulled lightly at the end of his curls until he lifted his head again, the blood from his nose leaving stains on his jeans but at least it had stopped flowing.

“You should go talk to them. Remind them you’re still you,” David advised, the expression on his face suggesting he was uncomfortable with the genuine emotion he was having to portray but also serious on the matter. “And tell your brother if he calls those two friends of his that I’m gonna be eating good tonight.”

Michael managed a light chuckle at the threat, realizing that David was probably right. No one had come and knocked on his door or tried to bust it down, which he wasn’t sure if he found comforting or terrifying. “Fine. But this might be the last time you see me,” he over dramatized, but deep down, it was a real fear - now that David was no longer his secret, anything could happen.

David rolled his eyes, smiling fondly at the comment. “Then it’s been nice knowing you,” he continued with the act, leaning forward to press a kiss against Michael, soft but full of confidence that he very much needed right then. He pulled away, sinking down onto the bed again. “I’m going back to sleep. Let me know how it goes and if you’re still alive,” he called from under the blanket with a thumbs up. Michael lifted himself from the floor wearily, biting his lip as he inhaled and exhaled in preparation to face Sam and Lucy again.

—————————————————

Michael cracked the door open an inch, just enough to see if Sam and Lucy were standing right outside, waiting for him to come out. When he was convinced there wouldn’t be an ambush, he steeled himself enough to open the door the rest of the way, heart in his throat as he took the first step out into the hallway. There were no signs of movement though he did hear voices coming from downstairs. He made his way down, treading lightly as he got close enough to hear Lucy and Sam both and the voice of his grandfather as well, coming from the kitchen.

“Dad, you _knew_?” his mother asked in disbelief. “I don’t understand.”

“You let us live in the same house as a bloodthirsty, murderous vampire? Grandpa, how could you?” Sam added on, every word they spoke contributing to the guilt already eating away at him. His grandfather didn’t deserve the line of fire that was supposed to be directed at him instead. Michael was just about to call their attention back to him when the old man slammed his bottle of root beer down, effectively silencing both his grandson and his daughter.

“Either of you missing a drop of blood?” he asked, waiting until they both answered no before he continued. “Found any bite marks overnight? Nanook still kickin’?” No answers were given to the open questions as Michael heard Gramps shuffle around the kitchen. “Now, I told that kid family was off limits or I’d stake the shit out of him and it looks like he listened. Michael kept y’all fooled because he loves the two of you and didn’t want you worried over nothin’, and lord knows you both work yourself up over anything y’all can.” He heaved a sigh, picking his bottle back up. “Give him a break. He’s goin’ through some stuff,” his grandpa ended with as he left the kitchen, spotting Michael still crouched halfway up the stairs and narrowing his eyes. He said nothing as he walked off further into the house. 

Michael rose from his hidden spot, willing himself to continue downstairs and into the kitchen, using whatever strength he had left which admittedly wasn’t much after working himself up over how his family would react. “Mom?” he asked quietly from the doorframe, still hesitant to enter what he thought was about to be a den of wolves. His mother and Sam were seated at the table, mirrored expressions of confusion and fear on their faces looking up to meet his gaze. Lucy jumped up immediately as she took Michael’s face in her hands, his anxiety starting to wane just from being held there.

“There you are! Are you okay, honey?” she asked immediately, smiling when he nodded as best as he could with her still holding him. “Can I get you anything? Water?”

“A fresh victim?” Sam asked from the table, crossing his arms as he fixed Michael with a glare.

“Sam! Stop it,” she snapped at him, letting Michael go as she pulled the empty chair out before taking her own seat. “Michael, we’re just...concerned. We’re not upset with you, we just want to know why you hid this for so long,” she went on to explain gently. “You and your grandfather. We live here too and we had a right to know about this.”

“You’re telling me you would have agreed to let a vampire stay in the house after what happened?” Michael asked skeptically, joining them as he collapsed into the chair. “No offense, but you and Sam can’t exactly keep a cool head.”

Lucy sighed, placing a hand on Sam’s arm when he immediately went to spring forward with a rebuttal, shaking her head. “That’s not the point. We don’t keep secrets in this house,” she asserted in her trademark disappointing mom voice, making Michael feel like he was half the age he actually was just hearing it directed at him. “You know you can come to me about anything, right? Including big stuff like this.”

“Big stuff? He’s still a goddamn vampire, mom!” Sam yelled. “How many innocent people have you killed, Mike? Huh?” he egged on, Michael wincing at the accusation as he leaned back from his ranting sibling.

“None, Sam. I’m sitting here in the sunlight, right?” he asked, gesturing at the sun filtering in through the window. “I’m not a full vampire and I don’t ever plan on becoming one, okay?”

That seemed to placate Sam for a bit as he sat back in his seat, crossing his arms once again in annoyance. Lucy closed her eyes, exhaling a deep breath as she listened to her sons argue. “Whatever you are now, we still love you,” she confirmed, looking pointedly at Sam with daggers in her gaze.

“I said I’d still love you, even though you lied to us,” Sam said lowly, looking away when Michael tried to catch his eye.

Michael sighed, throwing his hands up in defeat. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have lied about this. I didn’t know what else to do,” he lamented, hoping his family would forgive him and still trust him in the future. “Sam, if the Frogs saw he was still alive, you know they would have killed him.”

“They should have, Michael! He and his gang tried to kill us!” Sam retaliated immediately.

“After they killed one of _his_ family,” Michael shot back, voice firm and unwavering. “You were there. You told me you tried to stop them, but they did it anyway. If that had been us, you’re saying you wouldn’t have done the same thing?”

Sam finally quieted down, uncertainty evident in his expression as he didn’t have anything to come back with at the question. Lucy had remained silent during their back and forth, listening to both sides as she considered the argument. “Max wanted those boys to turn you two so we could all be a family. Michael, we talked about this. Max went about it the wrong way and you told me not all vampires are bad. Is the one you saved a bad vampire?” she asked him point blank, Sam lifting his head in anticipation for Michael’s answer as well.

Michael swallowed, considering the loaded question. David had turned him without his knowledge, and he had attacked Michael in an effort to get him to join him, but he had learned a lot about David in the past few weeks that suggested he wasn’t as bad as he might have liked to think he was. David had a different side, especially when he was with Michael - he was protective, helpful, sensitive. He took photos and drew pictures and liked listening to Fleetwood Mac while Michael slept beside him some nights. He still fed and hunted, but ever since Michael had expressed discomfort at the act, he only went out when absolutely necessary. “He may have been before, but he isn’t now,” he finally settled on, hoping that would be enough. “I...think I’m changing him.”

Sam and Lucy didn’t look very convinced, but his mother was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. “You’re a smart boy. I raised you to have a good head on your shoulders,” she commended, fixing Michael with a warm gaze. “If you think that, then I believe you.”

“Smart? He got himself turned into a vampire and _now_ he’s-“ Sam started, but Michael cut him off, having a feeling of what was going to come out of his brother’s mouth next.

“Trying to deal with it the best he can,” he finished, shooting a look at Sam that implied there would be hell to pay if their mother found out about what Sam had seen that morning. She might know about David staying there and the fact that Michael was still a vampire, but she didn’t need to be privy to the fact that he was intimate with his dirty little secret too. Sam caught the look and shut up, Michael thanking whatever god was listening for that.

“Do we get to meet him?” Lucy asked and she actually sounded a bit excited, though whether it was genuine or if she was asking out of cautious worry, Michael couldn’t tell.

“Um...maybe later tonight,” Michael deflected. The fear inside of him bubbled up at the prospect, looking between Lucy’s weary but supportive expression and Sam’s distrustful one. 

“Right. Vampire waking hours,” Sam muttered.

——————————————-

Michael caught hold of Sam later that day, pulling him into their shared bathroom and fixing him with a stern gaze. “Sam, listen to me. You already ratted me out to mom, but you _can’t_ let her know what’s going on between me and David. Do you understand?”

“ _That’s_ David? He’s the one who turned you?” Sam asked, recalling the name from Michael asking Star about the blood he’d drank. “God, Michael. Talk about Stockholm syndrome,” he said with disgust as he made a face. “He makes you drink his blood and now, what - he’s making you sleep with him too?”

“It’s not like that,” Michael barked, wishing he was literally anywhere else in the world right now so he didn’t need to have this conversation. “Look, I know he’s a guy and all-“

“Who gives a shit what gender he is? He’s a _vampire_!” Sam shouted, the outburst bringing a rare smile to Michael’s face. At least that was one thing he didn’t have to worry about with his brother, which took a bit of pressure off. “Screw who you want, but did you really have to pick one of _them_?” 

Michael rolled his eyes as he patted the top of Sam’s head, ruffling his hair. “Yeah, I did, Sammy,” he teased, ducking out of the way as Sam swatted at his arm. “He’s not so bad once you get to know him. He likes a lot of the same stuff you listen to,” Michael told him, Sam considering this as realization dawned on his face.

“Wait, did you take my cassettes?” Sam asked in horror, rushing after Michael who had already bolted through the door leading into Sam’s room and out into the hallway. Nanook barely lifted his head to watch as he safely barricaded himself in his own room, Sam pounding on his door. “Michael! Tell your b- your _friend_ to get his own tapes!” he demanded, growling and stalking off when all he could hear was Michael’s laughter through the door. 

David groaned in frustration, pulling the sheets from over his head at the interruption. “There’s just no getting any good sleep today, is there,” he grumbled, sitting up and glaring at Michael. “I take it your family handled it well?” he deadpanned, leaning onto Michael’s shoulder as he joined David on the bed, rubbing at his eyes.

“Uh, more or less,” Michael answered cryptically. When David didn’t respond, he looked down at the sleepy form resting on him, clearing his throat nervously. “My mom wants to meet you,” he mumbled, moving quickly enough away when David’s head shot up in surprise.

“What? Why?” he asked, suspicious already. “Did your brother say-“

“No, I just told him not to tell her anything,” Michael relayed in an effort to calm David’s fears. “She’s just, you know. Curious.”

“Curious,” David repeated, unconvinced. “About me.”

Michael nodded. “Yeah.”

“This sounds like a trap,” David dismissed as he laid back down in the bed, pulling the covers up over him. “I’m gonna go down there and him and those two are going to be waiting for me.”

Michael waited for a beat before getting up, opening the door to their bathroom and striding forward, knocking on Sam’s door. “Sam, if you call the Frogs, I’ll tell mom every piece of dirt I have on you,” he threatened nonchalantly. “She’ll ground you so hard, you won’t be coming out of your room for a year.” He knocked twice in farewell, re-entering his own room whistling.

David stared at him. “Is that actually gonna work?”

Michael shrugged. “Honestly, I’d put it at a fifty-fifty chance.”

——————————————-

That evening came faster than Michael was anticipating. He had somehow convinced David to come downstairs and have dinner with him and his family, but wasn’t entirely sure David would go through with it as he flip flopped back and forth about the whole thing. They got him looking nice, hair brushed and styled to the side rather than up which made him look a little less punky and clothes that actually fit him, thanks to an impromptu visit to one of the stores on the boardwalk. He felt a little stiff but that was to be expected at the prospect of having to meet his love interest’s family after living in their house under their nose for a month or so.

Michael could already smell dinner cooking downstairs when he opened the door, garlic and tomato hitting him immediately. “She’s making spaghetti. You’re gonna love it,” he told David who was currently rooted to the spot in Michael’s room, keeping his guard up. Michael pulled on his arm, leading him out into the hallway. “Come on. They don’t bite,” he reassured, starting them downstairs.

“No, but I do,” David answered under his breath as he followed reluctantly, the looming meeting filling him with dread every step of the way closer. They had barely made it downstairs before David was turning around. “I changed my mind,” was all he offered in explanation.

“No you didn’t,” Michael asserted, keeping a firm grip on David’s hand as he tried to force him into the kitchen.

“Michael, stop, I don’t want to-“

“It’ll be fine, I promise-“

“You can’t _make_ me, goddammit-“

“Michael?” he heard his mother call from the kitchen, seeing her face appear from around the corner a moment later as she watched the two bickering vampires currently engaged in a compromising position. David was hanging onto the railing for dear life, floating in midair while Michael had a hold of his uninjured hand, pulling on it with both of his own. They let go when she appeared, Michael falling to the floor as David relaxed and landed gracefully on the ground below. “Dinner’s almost ready,” she said cheerfully, disappearing back into the kitchen.

David glared at Michael’s form below him, heaving a sigh as he reached out to help him up. “This is going to suck,” he muttered, falling into line behind Michael as they finally entered the kitchen, trying to remain as hidden as possible under the fluorescent lights. Sam was helping grate the cheese, which was actually cheese this time, as Michael had heard about the fiasco with Max and dinner. He eyed the pair warily as they came in, not acknowledging their presence just yet.

“Hi, honey,” Lucy greeted properly from the sink as she drained the pasta. “Hope you boys are hungry. There’s plenty to go around.” 

“Hungry for _food_ ,” Sam added hastily, cleaning up his work space and setting the freshly grated cheese on the table. “So, Michael, did you ever actually invite your friend here into the house?” he continued innocently, nodding his head towards David. 

Michael held his arm out behind him, wordlessly stopping David from taking a step towards his brother. “No, Sam. David knows the rules,” he answered, turning his head around to catch the vampire’s eye. “Don’t you?”

David looked back and forth between the two siblings, any anger bubbling forth effectively silenced as he remembered that he was doing this for Michael, to smooth things over between him and his family. As much as he hated it, he needed to be on his best behavior. “Yeah, I do, _Sam_ ,” he affirmed in the sweetest, most non-threatening voice he could muster. “And might I add, I’m just _thrilled_ to meet you after everything Michael’s told me.”

“What’d he tell you?” Sam asked, suspicion clearly written all over his face. Lucy called Michael over to help her finish setting the table, leaving David alone as he picked one of the seats to stand behind. He fixed Sam with a grin spreading from ear to ear, dropping his volume a few notches.

“Nothing, just your greatest fears and every nightmare you’ve ever had.”

“David!” Michael called sharply, reminding himself eerily of his mother after he’d done so. She actually looked fairly impressed. “Stop messing with Sam.” He set the bowl of bread down, taking his place at the table purposefully between Sam and David as they all settled in to eat. 

Lucy waited for all three boys to serve themselves before she helped herself, making idle chatter in the meantime. “So, David, how long have you been, um…”

“Cursed? Infected? A walking blood bag?” Sam interjected, yelling in pain when Michael kicked at his shin under the table.

“A vampire,” Lucy finished, glaring at her children an equal amount. 

David hesitated as he swallowed his bite of food, feeling ridiculous sitting here and being questioned by a couple of humans about what he was. “Almost eighty-three years,” he said, finding it a bit amusing as Michael’s mother’s look of open-mouthed shock.

“You don’t look a day over eighteen!” she remarked, David raising his brows in surprise as she correctly guessed the age he’d been turned at, surmising that it must have been mom's intuition. 

“That’s when I got turned, yeah,” he confirmed as he reached for a piece of bread. 

“Did it hurt?” Sam piped up and for once, he didn’t sound combative but actually interested. 

David looked directly at him, his smug little smirk returning easily. “You wanna find out?”

Michael sighed, closing his eyes and remembering why he thought this might be a huge mistake. Lucy pressed on confidently, ignoring Sam’s usual whine of her name. “Do you like being a vampire?” she asked as if she was asking about any other occupation.

“Absolutely,” David responded, flashing a winning smile at Lucy, who looked down shyly. “You get to live forever, never get sick, and you never get any older. You get to fly, you can go wherever you want. It’s great. I don’t understand why anyone _wouldn’t_ want to be one.” 

“Some of us don’t like killing innocent people,” Sam butted in. 

David shrugged. “I try not to kill innocent people,” he said, the statement causing confusion to set in on Sam’s features. “Trust me, I’ll kill some asshole who obviously deserves it over someone who’s not bothering me.” This seemed to be a source of conflict for Sam as he shut up, picking at his food in annoyance as he tried to think of a comeback.

Lucy looked conflicted as well, not sure of what to make of this blond firecracker sitting at her dinner table. She flicked her gaze to Michael who had his full attention on his plate, trying not to laugh. “Was, uh, was Max your father then?” she asked, referring to when Max had called the group ‘his boys’, evidently too literally.

David barked a laugh as he shook his head rather fiercely. “Hell no. He’s just the one who sired us.” He took another forkful of food in before he went on. “You wanna talk about assholes, he was the main one. But with him gone, I guess I’m kinda in charge now.”

“And you got Michael to join you because you don’t have anyone else anymore?” Sam chimed in innocently, not realizing what he’d said was cruel until Michael slammed his fist down on the table.

“Sam, what the fuck?”

“Michael! Language,” Lucy warned, Michael finding it funny that she hadn’t yet chided David on his use of profanity the entire time. “And Sam, you should know better than to ask something like that.”

David held his hand up placatingly. “It’s fine, Ms. Emerson. I know how kids can be.”

Sam bristled but didn’t respond, sinking further down into his chair. Lucy placed her hand down on David’s, squeezing it lightly. “Please, call me Lucy,” she told him as he nodded, showing off his most innocent smile. “And I’m sorry you lost your family. I can’t ever imagine how hard that would be.”

“Thank you, Lucy. That means a lot,” David schmoozed, even going so far as to bring Lucy’s hand up to his mouth, kissing it softly. She looked down bashfully, pulling her hand back as she fought a small smile of her own at his charm. “I can see why Max wanted you. You have a good heart.” He shot a look at Michael, giving him a quick wink. _I’m doing good, huh?_

Michael rolled his eyes at the display, unconvinced that David _wasn’t_ currently manipulating his mother to like him. _Tone it down a little, Romeo._

 _Jealous?_ David thought back at him, attention distracted by Lucy asking another question. “I have to ask, though - why exactly did you make Michael a vampire too?” There wasn’t anger in her tone, which is what Michael would have expected at an inquiry like that, but curiosity with a touch of concern lined it. “Did he ask you to?”

Michael swallowed hard, trying not to choke on his drink as he watched David carefully, not having a clue of how he would field that one. David seemed relaxed, like the question hadn’t even bothered him as he answered. “I saw something special in him and I didn’t want Max having control over him. He told me to change Michael, so I did, but not for Max.” Considering the second part, David shrugged. “Michael didn’t exactly ask, but if he really wanted to go back to being human, he would have killed me by now. But you raised him, Lucy, and I bet Sam knows it too, how big his heart is.”

All eyes turned to Michael, who was currently staring at David with wide eyes, willing his face to stop burning up. “Can we stop talking about me now?” he asked hastily, averting his gaze. Lucy couldn’t hide her smile while Sam had the same look of disgust on his face from earlier, rolling his eyes.

“Sure, dear. Is everyone done?” Lucy asked, getting up from the table with hers and Sam’s plates.

“It was delicious, Lucy,” David complimented as she went into the kitchen, touching her arm gently as she passed by him. She giggled, pleased with his approval. Michael couldn’t believe how she had already fallen under his spell, but then again, he considered how fast David had enchanted him. Like mother, like son.

Once their mother was out of hearing range, Sam leaned in, hissing at the two vampires quietly. “How long do you guys think you can keep your little _affair_ hidden from mom?” 

“Michael! Tell your boyfriend to grab his dishes before you two leave the table,” Lucy’s voice called from the kitchen, two sets of stormy expressions directed at the youth immediately afterward, Sam shrinking under them.

“Sam! I told you not to tell her!” Michael snapped, reaching forward to push at his brother’s shoulder. 

“I didn’t, I swear!” Sam screeched, throwing his hands up in surrender. “Your _boyfriend_ writing poetry about you probably tipped her off!”

Lucy poked her head out from around the corner, a knowing, sly expression on her features. “Michael, I’m your mother. If I couldn’t tell these things, what kind of mother would I be?” she asked sweetly, finding the looks of embarrassment from both boys adorable. “Clear the table, please!” she called in departure, popping back into the kitchen. David turned towards Michael, amusement written all over his face.

“I think I like your mom even more than your grandpa.”

————————————————

Having gotten through dinner without any missing limbs, Michael considered it a success, David and his family meeting. Sam was understandably still weary around him and he didn’t see that changing any time soon, unless he suddenly became okay with the vampire lifestyle, but his mother seemed to accept the situation albeit warily. A week or so went by and David was joining them for dinner every night, sometimes helping Lucy cook in the kitchen or clean up or float above the refrigerator to reach the highest cabinets that his mother couldn’t. Michael was surprised at how almost domestic he appeared, not even trying to bond with her because Michael had asked him to; he _offered_ to help. He had to wonder if it was some form of guilt that David felt from staying here for so long without them knowing and was trying to make up for it or whether or not he was genuinely trying to get Lucy to like him. 

He hadn’t tried to do the same with Sam, though, merely ignoring the teen whenever their paths would cross. There was still animosity on David’s side, since Sam had outright killed Dwayne, but ever since Michael had posited the question of what Sam would do in the same situation, he started to understand why David felt the way he did. The vampire hadn’t killed him yet, and if he was in some kind of weird relationship with Michael, he probably wasn’t planning on it, which was a relief. He knocked on Michael’s door connected to their bathroom one night, when he knew Michael and their mother were still downstairs, cleaning up after dinner and David had retreated to Michael’s room for the night. 

“Yeah?” came David’s confused answer to the interruption, knowing it could only be Sam and wondering what the hell Michael’s brat of a brother wanted. He set aside the new piece he was working on as Sam’s face appeared meekly in the doorway, hesitant to approach any further. “Can I help you?” David drawled when Sam continued to stand a safe distance away, something behind his back that set David a little on edge, but he was sure he could take this kid if he was going to try anything. 

“Listen, David, I know you’re probably still mad at me and the Frogs after what happened,” Sam started, looking away nervously in case just his bringing it up was enough to set David off. When he was greeted with a bored, mildly annoyed expression, he kept going. “Um, I just wanted to say I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have raided your guys’ cave like that, but the Frogs are pretty...assertive,” Sam tried to explain, rather lamely. “I chickened out at the last minute and tried to tell them to stop, but...you know.”

David was deathly silent, watching Sam with a careful gaze as he fumbled for his words. “You burnt the shit out of my hand,” he pointed out, stony features evident on his face.

“You were gonna eat me,” Sam offered in way of an excuse, trying to control his tone before it got screechy. “Which, yeah, totally understandable with what we did, but still.” He sighed, remembering the main reason why he came in. “And...sorry for killing the Fabio-looking one of your group, but he was _definitely_ going to eat me. I really didn’t wanna do it, but you guys look scary as hell when you’re all vamped out and coming towards someone.”

David had to stifle a laugh at the kid’s description of Dwayne, still wanting to maintain an air of indifference to Sam’s apology. It was...sweet, in a way, but the fact was that his family was dead partly because of this kid. Though if what he said was true, that he hadn’t wanted to kill anyone in the first place, David could maybe try and start the whole forgiveness thing humans were fond of doing. After all, if he wanted Michael in his life, he could take a pretty easy guess and say Michael’s family would also be there too. It’d get old after a while if he didn’t try and get along with them. “Look, Sam, you don’t seem like you have the killer instinct. You’re, uh, how do I put this nicely?” David paused, placing his fingers on his stubbled chin for effect. “A dweeb.”

“I’m not a dweeb!” Sam shot back, his cheeks puffing out as he did so.

“And dweebs don’t kill for fun,” David pressed on as if Sam hadn’t interrupted him. “I know how scary the boys could be and you’re right. They probably wanted to tear you limb from limb, and I probably would have, too.” He relished the look of fear in Sam’s eyes as he’d said it so casually, his usual smirk on his face. “But Michael’s softened me up a little, see? And I can’t go and pick off his family, as much as I may want to.” The spark of fear increased, Sam taking a weary step back. “So I’m gonna have to get over it eventually if I wanna stick around. And I do.”

“So...no hard feelings?” Sam asked warily, actually pretty uncertain of David’s current feelings regarding him and whether or not he’d live to see another day.

David shook his head. “Maybe one day, I’ll forgive what you and your friends did, but you’re safe. Just tell those two assholes if I ever see them again, they’re not getting off as easily as you did.” He winked at Sam, who winced, feeling like he should be pleased with their current standing, but not completely out of the woods just yet. “Anyway, what do you got there? A stake for me?”

Sam pulled himself from his stupor, producing a small box of cassettes from behind his back to show David. “Michael told me you liked listening to music, and that jerk took some of my cassettes for you anyway, so thought you’d like some more selections,” he offered, placing the box down on the bed next to David. “To say sorry for...yeah. Everything.”

David looked at the box and rifled through it a bit, smirk softening into a smile. “Thanks. You got good taste,” he complimented, setting the tapes aside. “You could join us next time someone’s playing at the boardwalk.”

“Really?” Sam asked, a little too eagerly. Despite what he was, David and Michael both were what Sam would say is ‘cool’. That and any time he got to hang out with Michael like they used to was a plus, even if he might be a bit of a third wheel now. “Uh, yeah, that’d be cool.”

David nodded cooly in agreement, ready to end their conversation for the night as he looked back down to what he was working on. “Oh, Sam?”

“Yeah?” Sam asked on the way back into his room, turning back around. 

“I wasn’t kidding. I really do know all of your greatest fears,” David said in a monotone, an eerie silence following. Sam slammed the door to the bathroom shut, David cackling as he did so. Michael would kill him later, but it’d be worth it.


	9. there’s a place in the dark where the animals go

Summer was nearly over, the long days stretching into longer nights and David was excited for the upcoming weather and cooler, crisper air. He begged Michael to go flying with him nearly every night now, whining about how it wasn’t nearly as fun without him. The atmosphere in the house had changed, with David coming out and about and going where he wanted freely, a relief off of both his and Michael’s shoulders. They watched television on the set that their grandfather had finally agreed to getting, throwing his last _TV Guide_ out with a wistful sigh. They had rousing family debates and played poker and sometimes went out to the boardwalk to grab dinner. Michael was free to fall into a regular sleeping pattern during the day and be up at night, like his body wanted him to, feeling the best he’d felt since they’d moved to Santa Carla. He and David had even worked out a surefire method of picking people to feed from, there being plenty of people who deserved it just waiting to be plucked from the boardwalk. It still wasn’t Michael’s favorite thing to do and he made sure they only did it as often as they needed to, David being okay with it as long as he didn’t go hungry. Given the situation, things were going as well as they could as July pushed halfway into August.

That is, until Lucy sat Michael down one evening and asked him about school.

“School?” Michael had repeated with a groan. That definitely wasn’t high up on his list of priorities, blissfully forgetting about its existence until now. He was never a great student and he wasn’t looking forward to his senior year, honestly thinking of just forgetting the whole thing and seeing if he could find a job. 

“Yes, Michael, school,” Lucy answered with a sigh. “Come on, you have one year left until you graduate.”

Michael tried to keep from rolling his eyes. “Mom, Sam’s the one who’s good at school, not me. Maybe it’d be better if I just dropped out and tried to find a job instead.”

Lucy fixed him with a look of disapproval. “Both of my sons are going to graduate,” she stated firmly. “No ifs, ands or buts.”

“But mom, I’m a vampire,” Michael answered. “How do you expect me to stay awake long enough to get through the whole day?”

“You did just fine with us during the end of the summer,” Lucy rebutted easily. “Not an excuse.”

“That’s because I drank gallons of coffee and stayed inside most of the day,” he said back. “I can’t be out in direct sunlight. It makes me fall asleep.”

“Michael, you’re going to school. I’m sorry, honey, but I want you to have a future,” she said in her typical mom voice that Michael knew meant she had made up her mind already. “I’m sure David would agree.”

“What am I agreeing to?” David asked, sliding into the kitchen and pulling out one of Gramps’ root beers. 

“Michael needs to go to school.” Lucy looked back at Michael, frowning when he laid his head down on the table and groaned in frustration.

David shrugged as he took a long sip. “Sure, why not? Gonna suck, having to go out in the sun, but if you think you can do it.”

“I _know_ I can’t do it, but I guess I’m gonna have to try, aren’t I?” Michael asked his mother, sass underlying his tone. She simply patted his hand and smiled, Michael shooting a death glare at David. _Thanks for the help._

 _Sorry, babe. I want your mom to like me_. David returned his glare with a wink as he left the kitchen, bottle in tow. Michael felt completely helpless, knowing that this was going to be a very difficult upcoming few weeks for him.

————————————————

The Sunday night before school started back up, Michael was in a grumpier mood than usual, not even getting a decent day’s sleep with all the worrying about the following day. David was sympathetic towards him, as much as he could be and when he wasn’t teasing the fuck out of him. 

“Don’t even think about taking my bike,” David warned as they were gathered around the table for dinner.

“Why not? It’s not like you can even use it during the day,” Michael rebutted. “I haven’t gotten around to getting a new one and it’s your fault mine got taken anyway.”

“Oh!” Sam exclaimed, startling everyone at the table. “That’s why Star left! I just now put it together!”

Michael sighed, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. “Yeah, Sam. She figured it out, I asked her not to tell you guys and she decided to leave.” The whole situation still made him feel extremely guilty and he wondered if he’d ever see Star again, feeling genuine concern for her despite how they had left things. Mostly, he just wanted his bike back.

“Oh Michael, that’s awful,” Lucy added on, making him feel even worse. “I hope she’s doing okay.”

“Star’ll do just fine on her own,” David assured as he took another slice of pizza. “She’s got a way of charming people all by herself, no vampire power needed.” 

“Is that how she got in with you guys?” Sam asked with a smug smile. “Did you just ask anyone you thought was cute to join your gang?”

David stared at him, unblinking, eventually tossing his pizza crust at Sam’s head, Lucy chiding him as he did so. “No, smartass. I thought she’d be great for luring in little boys like you for dinner.” 

Sam had gotten used to ignoring David’s attempts to rile him, laughing it off as he pointed at Michael. “Yeah, right. She totally lured Michael in, though.”

Michael shot him a glare, slapping at his shoulder. “Sam, shut up,” he snapped, attacking him once again as Sam continued on. 

“Sorry, Mike, but I just don’t get how you went from Star to...that,” he mused, jabbing his thumb in David’s direction. “Like, what even _is_ your type?”

David looked scandalized but turned towards Michael as well. “Yeah, Mike, what _is_ your type?” he asked, mocking Sam’s higher register as he leaned forward, elbows on the table and his chin in hand. “I know why I picked you, but I’d just love to hear why you picked me.”

Michael glanced at his mom for support, some kind of help to end this nonsense, but she was looking bemusedly between the three boys as she finished her slice. He bit back a sigh as he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “Fine. Star was pretty, and me being a dumb teenage boy and her being a pretty teenage girl...well, I thought I was _supposed_ to fall for someone like her.” He hated this, but everyone was watching him, curious of his reasons why he chose David over Star. The truth was he hadn’t addressed it until this moment, hadn’t tried to rationalize his feelings, too afraid to try and put it into words. “She felt safe and stable, and that’s what you’re supposed to want, right?” 

“I thought the same thing about your father, honey. We know how that turned out,” Lucy comforted, putting her hand on his shoulder. 

He nodded, waiting a moment before continuing. “David, though...it felt like we had some weird rivalry at first. I don’t know if it was over Star or what, but I was always trying to keep up with you. You were so mysterious and charming, and it was like you drew me in.” Michael paused, everyone seeming to be waiting with baited breath for him to go on. His eyes were cast downward as he did so, feeling way too vulnerable, almost judged. “But once I was faced with having to bury you, I realized I wanted you to come back, more than anything. Partly because I didn’t wanna be a killer, but...I felt like we missed out on something that could have been special. But then you weren’t actually dead and I got to know you and it turns out that you had this whole other side I had no idea about. You’re loyal and protective and I really feel like you care about me. I don’t regret saving you one bit.” When he stopped and there were no sounds of reply, or mocking, or _anything,_ Michael finally looked back up. Lucy seemed touched, her eyes misty and full, while Sam actually looked happy for him. David was quiet, but if he was actually capable of doing so, Michael was sure he’d be red in the face by now. When he opened his thoughts to see if anything was being shared, his own face started to redden, deepening the longer he tuned in until he rose hastily from the table.

“I’m beat, got a long day with school tomorrow. Night, mom,” he said quickly in departure, leaving the room faster than he might have needed to. The remaining Emersons turned their gazes to David, who looked back and forth between them innocently.

“Guess I am his type,” was all he offered sheepishly, trying to hide the grin creeping up on his features.

——————————————-

Michael jumped into the shower after dinner, partly to clear his head from the emotionally charged conversation and partly because of the lovely thoughts that David had left him with right before he’d bolted from the room. He was glad David approved of what Michael had said about him, but it was a less than opportune time to flood his head with what he’d like for them to do later, possibly even _on_ the very table they were sitting at. Their mental link usually came in handy, but David was always the one who liked to abuse the connection, much to Michael’s chagrin. He zoned out while he was in the shower, thinking of how much less time they’d be able to spend together now that school was starting back up. He was just starting to actually like living in Santa Carla just for it to be cut short so soon. He wondered how it would work should he ask David to prom with him, the thought bringing a smile to his face as he pictured them wreaking havoc on the rest of the prom goers like some bad horror film.

“Someone’s happy,” David’s voice said from behind him and Michael jumped, nearly losing his footing as he whipped around, holding the showerhead like it was a weapon. David stood there in the shower with him, already a bit soaked as Michael had evidently zoned out for longer than he thought. He took a deep breath before launching the spray of water at David’s face, splashing him as the vampire yelled.

“Jesus, warn me next time, will ya?” he requested, surrendering the showerhead to David, who put it back up in its holder as he scoffed. 

“I did. Thought you might have been taking care of a more pressing issue in here when you didn’t say anything,” came David’s teasing answer, Michael still not used to seeing him with his hair wet and an inch shorter than him, despite all this time. “What’s eatin’ you?”

Michael sighed in weary annoyance as he reached for the shampoo, realizing he should probably actually do the task he was in here for. “The school bullshit. I don’t know why I need to go back just to almost fail again,” he grumbled, scrubbing his hands through his hair. “And now with this vampire stuff, I’m gonna be dead tired all day. It’s pointless.” He neglected to mention the fact that he’d be seeing less of David as well, that being one of the more upsetting consequences. 

David stood under the water, enjoying the warmth more than anything as he didn’t exactly need to wash up, watching Michael get clean bemusedly. He understood where Michael was coming from, not thrilled with the fact that he’d be gone for a good portion of the day, even if he would be asleep while he’d be gone. It meant Michael would come home with homework and projects and have to get some sleep at night. Still, one of them had to try and make the situation better or Michael would turn in on himself and worry the night away. “I bet it won’t be as bad as you think. Besides, I can try and help you out.”

“You?” Michael asked in disbelief, clearing his throat when it dawned on him that it might have sounded rude. “Um, did you graduate?”

“Eighth grade, yeah,” David said with a laugh. “But I’ve lived through some of the stuff you’re probably gonna learn about. Remember the earthquake?” Michael nodded as he continued. “The boys didn’t know it, but I like history the most. So if you need any help there, I’m your guy.”

“Why didn’t the boys know? Afraid they’d call you a nerd?” Michael teased, splashing some water in David’s direction.

“You can’t be a nerd if you wanna lead a group of vampire bikers,” David confirmed, shaking his head as he covered himself from the water barrage. “But I like learning. Might have even gone to college, if I could’ve.” 

Michael considered this, just another layer of David’s that he had no idea existed. Maybe they could get through the school year together, if he could have David right there with him, especially if he did only have a middle school education, which Michael was definitely not going to tease him later about. “So you’re good at history, but what about other subjects?”

A mischievous glint appeared in David’s eye, something that very clearly said whatever idea he had just thought of should not be done. “I’m pretty good at chemistry, too,” he lilted, taking the washcloth from Michael’s hands as he took over instead, stepping closer to Michael so his back was against David’s chest. Michael doubted the validity of that statement, but if it got David’s hands where they currently were at the moment, he wasn’t about to refute it. “You know, atoms and all that shit.” His hand dragged the washcloth lower across Michael’s lower stomach, teasing by mere proximity before he dropped it altogether. He used some of the suds as he slid his fingers around Michael’s base, exhaling a low laugh against his ear as Michael’s head fell back against his shoulder.

“Does the lesson start now?” Michael asked breathlessly, lifting his head when he felt David move, switching positions so that he was kneeling in front instead. The hot water pounded against his back, but he barely felt it, focused entirely on David beneath him and still pulling on him, a slow rhythm set but enough that it was already making it difficult to stand. David didn’t answer, devious smile directed up at Michael, both of their pupils blown wide as they regarded each other. David’s eyes never left Michael’s as he leaned forward, licking a teasing strip on Michael’s tip before taking the whole of him into his open mouth. Michael caught a shout in the back of his throat before it could escape as he braced a hand against the shelf of the window above the bathtub, the other threading through David’s dampened locks, fingers tightening in them as David took more of him in. He was faring a lot better than when Michael had tried this for the first time, idly wondering if David was trying to show off or if he didn’t give a fuck and just wanted Michael to enjoy the experience. That or he’d done this before, which seemed plausible given David’s almost one hundred years of existence but the thought of it made Michael’s mouth dry, despite the water trickling over his face as he titled his head back in a moan. 

David had just been able to nearly take the whole of Michael down his throat when the sound of the door opening shut Michael’s heavy panting down immediately, his head snapping back up as he listened for the source. “Sam?” he called uncertainly, albeit difficultly as David hadn’t yet released him. 

“I know you’re showerin’, Mike, but I’m going to bed and I just wanted to ask you something real quick,” Sam’s voice came from near the door, raised slightly so he could be heard over the water. 

“Can’t it wait ‘til tomorrow?” Michael asked hastily, glaring down at the top of David’s bobbing head, his eyes closed as he continued to move up and down on Michael’s length. He tried to pull on David’s hair to get him to stop for just a second, but the motion just caused him to take Michael further, until he was fully encased in David’s mouth. David looked up at him from under his lashes, the bastard having the audacity to wink at him as he pulled away, finally, _finally_ granting Michael some reprieve. 

“It’s just, I’m worried about starting school tomorrow. You know, being new and all? And what if they make fun of me for skipping a grade? I know I’m smart, but-“

“Get to the point,” Michael snapped, not meaning to do so but David was treating him like a goddamn half human lollipop, despite Michael trying to bat him away, however half-heartedly. 

Sam hesitated and Michael was about to grab David by his chin and hold him there lest they get discovered, but when his brother’s voice spoke again, it sounded nervous. “Can I ride with you tomorrow to school instead of taking the bus? It might show people I’m cool if I show up on a motorcycle.”

Michael let out an involuntary groan as David took more than half of him into his mouth again, trying to pass it off as a laugh instead as his hand tightened in David’s hair once again, telling himself to let go, that it was really more of an encouragement for the vampire than a deterrent. “Y-yeah, Sam, whatever,” he said shakily, hoping that was the end of the conversation and he could wrap his fist around the ends of David’s hair and shove himself down David’s throat without any more interruption. 

“You okay? You sound like you’re in pain,” Sam questioned, his voice sounding closer. Michael panicked internally for half a second before he drew the shower curtain aside enough for his head to poke out. 

“I’m fine, just under a lot of stress too,” he assured before disappearing again, placing a knuckle in between his teeth to keep from any more questionable noises. He heard Sam hum in agreement before the sound of the door clicking shut again, poking his head out once more to make sure his sibling had left before his hand was yanking David’s head back by his hair. His hips rocked forward of their own volition, his other hand gripping the shower rod just to have support so he wouldn’t slip as he released himself into David’s mouth, moaning softly as he felt David swallowing around him. He waited for David to finish and stand again, that shit-eating smirk on his face once again as Michael pushed at his shoulder. 

“What the fuck is wrong with you? Do you only get off in dangerous situations or something?” he accused, his words sounding upset but his tone and the look on his face saying otherwise.

David just shrugged. “Maybe. You handled it pretty well, though.”

“Not in front of my brother ever again,” Michael commanded, doing another quick rinse off before he shut off the water. He handed a towel to David as the pair got out, David still smiling his annoying little smile. “What?” Michael asked, irritated.

“I’d say you passed with flying colors.”

——————————————-

Michael’s alarm went off at seven sharp, though he was already awake, unsure of why he had set the goddamn thing in the first place. He was already tired, despite him and David having fed two nights ago and more than enough to have kept his energy up for the coming school week. His usual morning routine for a school day came back easily, it only being a few months since he’d last done so. Brush his teeth, try to brush his hair, and find an outfit that wasn’t dirty. It wasn’t long before he was ready, backpack slung over one shoulder as he turned to leave, grabbing David’s keys as he did so. David had expressed his wishes against Michael using his bike before, but there wasn’t much he could do about it if he was asleep. Hesitating a moment before he walked out, he neared the bed, pressing a kiss to David’s exposed shoulder and plucking his sunglasses off of his dresser before heading downstairs.

Sam was already up along with their mother, Lucy prepping a large pot of coffee for him before he even asked. “Morning, mom. Thanks,” he greeted, standing by the coffee pot, waiting for it to finish. He still wasn’t thrilled by the prospect of going to school, out in daylight all day, but at least he would be inside for most of it. 

“No problem, honey. You’re gonna do great today,” Lucy encouraged, taking his face in her hands and running her thumbs over his cheeks before flitting away just as quickly. “Make sure you get some breakfast, too.”

Michael picked one of the already-made plates up from the counter and joined Sam at the table as he was finishing up packing his bag. He had just about every kind of stationery available and a stack of notebooks to go with them. “Sam, it’s the first day. How do you have all of that already?”

Sam looked up from his sorting with a grin. “Gotta be prepared,” was all he offered. “Do you have an extra helmet for me?” he asked excitedly.

“What? A helmet?” Michael laughed. “I don’t even have a helmet for me.”

“That’s not safe, Mike,” Sam informed him, drawing the attention of their mother.

She raised a brow at their conversation. “What’s going on now?” she asked as she crossed her arms.

Michael stole a glance at Sam as his brother did the same for him. “Sam wants me to give him a ride to school. Thinks it’ll make him look cool or something.”

Turning towards Sam, she fixed him with her best disappointed mother look. “Sam, you’re too young for that. You’re taking the bus like all the other kids.”

“Mom!” Sam protested as he sprung up from his chair. “Please? It’ll just be for today! I’m already nervous enough because I skipped a grade and I wanna look cool!” 

Lucy looked towards Michael, who was watching Sam bemusedly as he finished his breakfast and drank his coffee. “It’s fine, mom. I already promised him and I’ll go slow.”

She still looked torn, skeptical of Michael’s promise but wanting to make Sam happy too. Finally, she sighed and nodded. “Okay. But Michael, if either of you get hurt, you’re going to be grounded so hard that David will have to share your punishment with you.” Michael nodded in acknowledgement, corralling an overly-excited Sam to the door as he put his sunglasses on and waved a two-finger salute as a goodbye to Lucy. 

The ride went about as well as expected, Sam gripping him around his middle so tight that he could barely breathe the whole time. He dropped Sam off in front per his request, shaking his head fondly as he watched his little brother try to appear cool before going to park the bike, heaving a sigh as he heard the bell sound and he trudged his way into the building.

—————————————————

Michael had managed to stay awake for all of his classes but he wasn’t entirely sure how, feeling his eyes close and himself drift off every now and again. He chalked it up to it being the first day where boring introductions and class expectations were discussed, citing that almost everyone else was nodding off, too. As the week progressed, however, and it got more into the curriculum and Michael got sick of the taste of coffee, he got sent home with note after note after note, shoving each of them into the bottom of his backpack. His mom knew what she had pushed him into - she didn’t need reminders about him falling asleep in class and gym and even at lunch. He’d complained about it to David every night, who didn’t have much to offer in way of solution, only able to hold Michael as he tried and failed to fall asleep in time before school the next day. His only reprieve was the weekend, where he effectively slept all day with David and then spent the night hunting and catching up on schoolwork. The next few weeks continued the same way, Michael feeling almost in a constantly tired rut as he struggled to make it through the days. He’d been called to the principal several times already, questioned about why he was always so tired and was there something else going on, denying it every time and so much so that they just waved him back when he was sent to the office.

It was exhausting, draining him of any energy he might have had but he managed to keep going despite being dead on his feet, wanting to push himself to make his mother happy. He’d already put her through so much over the summer that it felt like he owed this to her, no matter how miserable he might be. He was a little over a month into his senior year when he came downstairs for dinner one Friday night, having woken up from a nap he decided to take as soon as he got back from school that day, passing out still wearing his backpack. Lucy and David were already waiting for him at the table, their voices quieting as he entered the room. The scene was eerie, his partner and his mother talking only to stop when he came in. “Um, am I interrupting something?”

“Michael, sit down,” Lucy requested gently, pulling out the seat next to her. “We need to talk.”

He had a feeling he knew exactly what they needed to discuss, but did as his mother asked. “What’s up?”

“The school called me this afternoon. They’re very worried about you. I can’t exactly explain to them what’s going on, but I can’t just dismiss their concerns either, even if I know why they’re telling me. So, as much as I wanted you to graduate, you have my permission to drop out.” He could tell how much it pained her to say it, despite the forced smile she was currently giving him. He glanced over to David, who was looking down at the table as she’d said it, Michael unable to tell if he felt guilty for being the cause of this or if he just didn’t care. Michael shook that thought out of his head - David had already done plenty to show that he _did_ care, that he was trying to help Michael resume a normal semblance of his life. 

Reaching forward for her arm, Michael sighed as he squeezed it in an attempt to comfort her. “I’m sorry, mom, I really did try,” he told her as she covered his hand with her own and nodded. “Maybe in a couple of years, when I have this more figured out, I can try and get my GED or something.” He didn’t exactly want to do that either, but he couldn’t leave his mother with nothing when he knew how much he had already fucked up. “Sorry for being a disappointment.”

“Michael, stop. You’re not a disappointment,” Lucy told him, nearing the point of tears already. “David told me what you’ve been going through and I just didn’t realize how bad it was for you. I’m sorry for pushing you.”

“I’m sorry I’m like this,” Michael continued with the apology train, exhaling a laugh as he did so. “Sam’s looking like the real golden child, huh?”

“You’re a good boy, honey. Your circumstances are…different,” Lucy said, looking pointedly at David, who had finally looked over at the pair but darted his eyes away as she mentioned him. “But not everyone has to graduate to live a fulfilling life. As long as you’re healthy and happy, so am I.”

“Really?” Michael asked, trying not to sound like the weight of the past few weeks had just been lifted off of him in one fell swoop. “Thanks so much, mom, I’ll...I’ll get a job or help you out more around the house. I’m not gonna end up like dad did.”

Lucy smiled an actual, genuine smile at him. “I know you won’t.” With that, she got up from the table and headed into the kitchen to start dinner, leaving the two vampires alone in the dining room. A rare awkward silence stretched between them as David tried to find something to say about the situation.

“Bummer,” was all he offered, heaving a sigh. “I was kinda looking forward to learning some new shit. But...sorry. For taking away your opportunity for knowledge or a future or whatever.” 

It might have sounded callous coming from anyone else, but Michael had learned to dig a little deeper into stuff David said to find its actual meaning. “I don’t think I had much of a future anyway,” he mused, a bit of self-deprivation evident in his tone. “Maybe in sports or something, but I was just a dumb jock. School was never my thing.”

“God, Michael, you might even be cooler than me,” David teased him, leaning forward in his chair to bump his knee with Michael’s lightly. “A job, though? Why the hell do you need one of those?”

“Because my mom already had to take care of one man child - my dad - and I’m not gonna make her do it again,” Michael answered bitterly. “Maybe then I can start saving up for a new bike or a place on my own or something.”

“You sound like such an adult,” David whined, crossing his arms as he rolled his eyes. “If you want a place of your own, I’m pretty sure Max’s house is still up for grabs.”

“God, no. I wouldn’t live there if you paid me.” 

“That’s my point. Why do you need money? You can just take whatever you want,” David pointed out, waving his hand. 

“No, _you_ can. I may drink other people’s blood, but I’m not about to start a life of crime and start stealing, too.” Michael shrugged, nodding in David’s direction. “I don’t even know if I can do your glamor thing. Besides, my mom has bills. I can be a good son and help her out.”

David fixed him with a blank look before shrugging as well in response. “Whatever. Jobs are lame anyway.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last update I might have for a hot minute since I’m getting married next week 👀 also if you wanna like hit me up or something, my tumblr is partiallyobscure. Come rave with me about gay vampires if you feel like it 😎👉🏼👉🏼


	10. drop the dagger and lather the blood on your hands romeo

Michael’s job hunt was not faring well. He first thought about asking his mom if he could join her at the video store, which she had taken over since Max had gotten staked, but the thought of her being his manager almost sent a chill down his spine. There were a few shops open late on the boardwalk, but most weren’t hiring and the others were only looking for day shifts. David suggested off-handedly and perhaps jokingly that he should try to get the graveyard shift at the actual graveyard on the edge of the city. The prospect was a bit spooky, but it seemed perfect. Michael had asked if they had any kind of groundskeeper positions, thinking that it wouldn’t be too difficult to keep the cemetery clean and free of trash, maybe water the flowers here and there. When the manager took one look at him, with his sunglasses still on since it was bright as hell outside and saw his build, he was hired as a security guard instead.

“Security? At a graveyard?” Lucy asked once Michael had excitedly told her the good news over dinner one night, just the three of them while Sam was upstairs doing homework. “Why do they need security there?”

“Turns out they get a lot of assholes vandalizing the tombstones there at night and drunk people trying to dig up graves and people stealing stuff that’s left on their loved ones’ graves,” Michael relayed.

“It’s true. Not to mention graveyards are a turn on, for some reason. Me and the boys used to see couples getting busy all the time there,” David added on.

Lucy put her hand over her heart. “That’s terrible!” she cried.

Michael shrugged in response. “You’ve seen the people around here. Are you surprised?”

She looked worried, voicing her concern in typical mom fashion. “I don’t know, Michael. It sounds dangerous. Maybe David should go with you?”

“They hired _me_ , not David,” Michael reminded her as David grinned, humoring the idea. “I’ll be fine, mom. I’m a vampire too, remember?”

“You’re only half, dear,” Lucy said, glancing at the only full vampire in the room. “And I know you’re not as...inclined to hurt people as your partner.”

David feigned offense as he gasped dramatically. “That hurts, Lucy. I’ve changed my ways,” he promised with a wicked glint in his eye. “But no, I should definitely come with you.”

Michael groaned in annoyance. “Why?”

“One, graveyards are cool, and two, if some asshole _does_ decide to pull a gun on you because his sloppy drunk ass thought it’d be funny to mime fucking a Virgin Mary statue, I doubt you’d be willing to kill him lest you turn fully.” David ended his defense with a raised brow as he crossed his arms, challenging Michael to disagree.

Lucy had a look of absolute shock on her face, which made Michael have to stifle his laughter, but he finally sighed in acceptance when David didn’t look like he’d be backing down. “Fine, but my boss can’t know about it.”

“You won’t even know I’m there,” David swore with his most innocent-looking smile.

——————————————-

Michael was, in fact, _very_ aware of David’s presence as it was suddenly October and Michael was starting his very first job. It was only six hours a night during the week and he started at midnight, but it was decent pay. The cemetery didn’t get nearly as many visitors at night as it did during the day, but for the unfortunate souls who did find themselves inside when the moon rose high into the sky and had more nefarious purposes than simply visiting the grave of a loved one, they had David to answer to. Michael could handle the smaller issues, like someone who had had too much to drink and found a rather large tombstone made a comfortable bed or people trying to steal jewellery and other precious mementos off of graves. The people who flat out refused to leave or the ones they caught desecrating tombstones were the ones who David relished in scaring the worst, his vamped out appearance worse than anything Michael could threaten them with. They didn’t ever come back and Michael didn’t hear anything about it from his boss either, his first week going by without a hitch. 

“You should get a raise,” David told him one night, hands stuffed in his coat pockets as he watched Michael shine his flashlight between two bigger trees. 

“Weren’t you the one asking why I needed money in the first place?” Michael asked him teasingly, adjusting the stiff uniform around his neck for the sixth time that night. 

David bumped his shoulder into Michael’s as they continued the trail inside the graveyard. It normally took an hour to walk one way and back, and they had only just started their first lap. “Yeah, but you’re like my sugar daddy now,” David said, letting out a yelp followed by a laugh when Michael slapped at his arm.

“Don’t call me that.”

“Quit buying me the primo cigarettes and I might,” David teased him, pulling out one as he did so. “I guess I have been helping you out, so I’m my own daddy.”

“Better that than Max,” Michael joked, the two sharing a laugh at his mother’s question from the first time she’d met David properly. “Are you ever gonna tell me how he turned you?”

David quieted down, taking a thoughtful drag off of his cigarette for a longer amount of time than he needed to. “Not much to say,” he finally answered after a few moments longer. “I tried to rob him and he turned me by force.”

“By force? I always thought you _wanted_ to turn,” Michael said, surprised. 

David kept his gaze lowered to the dirt path under their feet. “Eventually you start telling yourself that to cope after half a century or so,” he mused with a bitter chuckle. “Michael, Max was the worst, right up ‘til the end there. He probably seemed fine to you and your mom, but…”

Any further storytime was cut short as Michael’s receiver buzzed on his hip, a stern voice cutting through bits of static. “Emerson! Office,” it commanded before dying again as quickly as it had started. Both boys stared at it, Michael’s sigh finally breaking the thick silence.

“Fuck, it’s Pete. Bet your scaring finally caught up to me,” he speculated, turning them around on the path before they could reach the end. “Don’t know why he couldn’t talk to me _before_ my shift started.” 

“I’ll keep watch for you while you get chewed out,” David teased, reaching for Michael’s flashlight before Michael swiped it just out of his arm’s reach. “Who knows? Maybe you actually _are_ getting a raise.” He winked at Michael, giving him a quick peck on the lips before he stepped away, continuing on down the trail. Rolling his eyes but with a fond smile on his face, Michael started the journey back to the main office of the cemetery.

It took him a lot shorter time, since he’d practically sprinted, but his boss was still waiting for him impatiently, irritation evident in his features even as Michael huffed out an apology. “Emerson, what’s this talk I’m hearing about a vampire scaring people around here?” he asked, raising a brow expectantly.

“I haven’t seen anything,” Michael lied, trying to use his best combination of adult-and-convincing voice. “Probably just kids spreading rumors. You know how people are around here, Pete.”

“It better be,” Pete gruffed, jabbing his index finger into the center of Michael’s chest. The man was fairly intimidating, being twice Michael’s size and a good couple of inches taller, but most of it likely being muscle. He was exactly what Michael pictured the head of security would look like. “Santa Carla’s full of weirdos, but it’s your job to keep them from skulking around here. Got it?” 

Michael nodded in answer, taking an unconscious step back when Pete didn’t back off immediately. “Got it,” he parroted back, trying to mask his impatience. “Can I get back to it?”

Pete eyed him warily, like he wasn’t fully trusting of what Michael had told him. “Don’t you have school in the morning, kid?” he asked, checking his watch.

Michael cleared his throat, shaking his head and mustering up as much confidence in his voice as he could. “I’ll be fine,” he brushed off cooly, hoping his lack of actually responding to Pete’s question would be enough to satisfy him. “And I’ll keep an eye out for _vampires_.” He put a sarcastic spin on the last word, wavering his voice to show that he was kidding, waving a hand in farewell as he stepped out of the office and back into the brisk night air, exhaling deeply. 

“Did you get that raise?” David’s voice asked from behind him and he jumped, turning quickly to see the shock of pale blond hair and the body it was attached to leaning on the side of the building, illuminated only by the light of his cigarette. Michael sighed, thankful there were no windows on this side that they could be seen from. Michael was pretty sure he couldn’t have visitors on the job, especially not if he was romantically involved with them. 

“Nope, just the chewing out. Can’t do any more vampire scaring, my boss is onto it,” Michael explained as they set off on his patrol once more. “He’s actually a little terrifying.”

David scoffed, passing off his cigarette to Michael to finish. “You should just quit,” he offered with a shrug, which had been his answer for everything since Michael had started. “Much as I like seeing you in uniform, I’d rather be home right now _not_ seeing you in it.” He was more caught up in his flirting than noticing he had used Michael’s home in reference to his own, the thought bringing a fond smile to Michael’s face. 

“Sorry, Davey. I need the money.” He threw the cigarette butt out in a trash can nearby before taking off, just hovering enough off of the ground so he could outrun - or outfly - David, who was currently threatening to add Michael to the cemetery’s vacancy for calling him the nickname. 

————————————————-

Things quieted down for a few days after that and Michael was able to keep the graveyard relatively hooligan-free. David still visited him every night he worked, either bringing him dinner or sharing a few smokes while they simply walked the trail and talked. It got a bit difficult to keep Michael fed while he was working, as he was unable to do so and started feeling a bit tired towards the end of the week before they could get him blood again during the weekend. On those nights, David brought him a thermos of coffee and whatever homemade snack he and Lucy had made that night, packaged up for him in a cute little paper sack. Michael was starting to think they were beginning to bond a little _too_ much, but if they kept bringing him treats, it really wasn’t _that_ bad.

It was nice, having his partner - boyfriend? He still wasn’t sure of what to call David - there with him, and it made the night go by more quickly. David knew a few of the names on the tombstones and was able to give him some history on the people buried underneath, some stories sounding entirely too outlandish to be believed, but David swore by all of them. For the ones he didn’t know, they’d make up that person’s life, having fun by imagining what type of life someone had led just by whatever was written on their tombstone. It felt less like a job and more like mini dates every night, Michael grateful that he had someone like David to make the tediousness of a job a little more bearable. David never rode with him, would just show up sometime after he had started his shift with drinks and entertainment in tow.

Each night, they’d put a marker on the last grave that they had left off on so they’d know which one to start with again the following night. Michael picked up the large rock that sort of looked like a meteorite and slipped it into his pocket, David being the one who spotted it since it had been shiny. “Okay, who’s this chick - Betty Du Pont?” he asked, gesturing to the name on the front and looking expectantly at David. 

“Sounds like a rich old bat,” David surmised, kneeling and squinting so that he could read her birth and death date off of the dirt-covered slab. “Might have killed her husband for his money, might not have. Who’s to say?” 

“Maybe she was a vampire, too,” Michael speculated with a laugh. “Staked and then her riches were stolen by her husband, who had faked his death so he could be with his mistress.” 

David considered this as he rose from the tombstone, looking more like he belonged in the graveyard, or maybe a funeral than Michael did in his long black duster that gave him a flair of drama. “If she was, I never heard of her. Then again, me and the boys did kind of mark our territory here, so we didn’t see many other vampires unless they wandered here out of town.”

“You’ve been here your whole life?” Michael asked, desperate for any more crumbs of David’s past life that he was willing to share.

“Born and died here, technically,” David confirmed with a fond smile as he walked off to the next grave. “But you don’t wanna hear about that.”

Michael groaned in frustration. “Yeah, I do,” he refuted, shoving his free hand in his pocket while the other shined the flashlight on the name of the tombstone. “Told you I loved you, for god’s sake. You could at _least_ tell me who you used to be.” He was teasing, but it should have been enough of a provocation to get David started on him. He waited, glancing over at David, who had a strange look on his face as he read the front of the grave. It wasn’t anything special, not as fancy as some of the other ones in the cemetery, but it did look more well-tended than the others. “David?” he asked when he wasn’t given a haughty reply. “Who’s this guy?”

David didn’t answer at first, fingers playing with the medal hanging from the front of his coat. “An ex,” he replied simply, deliberately. 

“Ex as in boyfriend?” Michael clarified, trying to keep the intrigue from being so evident in his voice. 

David rolled his eyes. “Yeah, Michael. Ex as in boyfriend.” He toyed with the medal again, a faraway look in his eyes as he did so. “Gave me this. Offered him the same deal as you.”

“I wasn’t offered,” Michael reminded him, just to taunt.

“Semantics,” David snarked back before continuing, Michael impressed he’d pulled that word out of his eighth-grade vocabulary. “He didn’t want it, though. I was gonna run away with him anyway, for as long as he wanted me around, but Max had other plans.”

“Max? Wait, you’re not making this up?” Michael asked, dumbfounded. 

“No,” David snapped as Michael held his hands up defensively. “You said you wanted to know, so I’m telling you.” 

“Sorry,” Michael apologized. “What did Max do?”

David hesitated. “Vampires sometimes turned people so they would do their bidding,” he explained. “Max told me as much, and I played along for a while until I met Jack here.” He reached out and tapped the top of the headstone. “Told Max I was leaving town. Next night, I wake up and find one half of Jack laying next to me. Never did find the other half.” He turned to look at Michael with a rueful smile. “His coffin’s empty under there. Family didn’t have anything to bury. Probably better that way. I used to come here a lot and clean it up whenever it started getting dirty, but it’s been a few years and I honestly forgot.” 

Michael remained quiet, knowing that nothing he could say would probably help right now. He was inclined to believe David, with how genuine he sounded talking about his past, even if he was aware that there was still the chance David could be fucking with him. He wondered if they were past that stage yet, or if David would ever tire of doing so.

“Didn’t try relationships for a long time after that. I think Max could tell I was pretty depressed for a while, so he turned Dwayne for me, to keep me company, I guess. Then Paul, because Paul was good at following orders. Then Marko, and I’m not even sure why he turned Marko but he just showed up one day and handed him off to me.” David turned his gaze up towards the sky, like the memories were written in the stars above for him. “The boys were the best thing that happened to me since Jack, so I can’t hate Max for that, but I can hate him for all the other shit he did to me.” He went quiet after that, waiting until the moon was covered by some clouds before he finally turned his back to the tombstone, continuing forward. Michael took one last look at the grave before following after him.

“Hey, Max is dead and you’re in charge now,” Michael reminded him as they fell in step together. “So you outlived that asshole. I bet he’s cursing your name in hell or wherever we go when we die.” His hand found David’s, squeezing it lightly for support before letting it go again, to give him some space should he want it. He hid the smile on his face when David immediately reached for his hand again, lacing their fingers together. “You know, we could play hide and seek.”

“Hide and seek? What are you, five?” David asked with a laugh. 

“Sounds like someone is scared of losing.” Michael could play David like a fiddle and he never saw it coming.

David threw Michael’s hand down with such force that it made him drop his flashlight. “You’re on, Emerson,” he declared, taking off in the pitch black to hide, Michael finally voicing the laugh he had been trying to hold back.

——————————————————

They lost an hour or so chasing each other around the graveyard. It was an early Friday morning, so Michael was getting pretty tired, especially using his last remaining vampiric strength to fly after David around trees and the bigger tombstones. He had to call it quits when he felt his eyelids beginning to slide shut mid-flight. David fell back, dropping to the ground gracefully as he held out his arms to catch Michael out of the air.

“Remember the first time I did this?” he asked with a nostalgic fondness evident in his voice, helping Michael stand on his shaky feet.

“What? No,” Michael answered with a yawn, slapping his face a few times to wake up. A vampire dead tired in the middle of the night? He felt pretty pathetic.

David smirked, pleased that he had a memory to hang onto that Michael apparently couldn’t recall. He wondered if he should even share it now or just keep it to himself, but he realized that he wanted to share it with Michael, wanted to share _everything_ with him - thoughts, memories, meals, kills. He cleared that line of thought with a shake of his head. “After we dropped off the bridge. You fell, and I caught you. You were shaking like a leaf.” It’d been exhilarating, that first touch of Michael he’d been able to have, not counting that sucker punch he’d been able to land. That David had _let_ him land. 

“Did you take me home?” Michael asked, racking his brain as he tried to remember that hazy night. 

David nodded. “Yeah. I got you home safe, much as I wanted to keep you with me that night.” 

Where David got his smooth fucking lines, Michael wasn’t sure, and why he was choosing to use them on _Michael,_ of all people, was an even bigger mystery. He was surprised someone hadn’t snatched David up first before he could sink his teeth into him, literally, but from what David had told him about Max, it didn’t seem like the former leader of the most dangerous vampire pack Santa Carla had ever seen had much opportunity to find love. He could stay here all night, flirting back and forth with David, and getting paid to do so, at that.

His sentimental train of thought was broken by David quickly turning his head to look behind them. “You hear that?” David whispered, glancing back at Michael. They headed out onto the main trail, Michael clicking his flashlight on, the bright light cutting through the pitch black. David was gone from his side in an instant, making his departure as quiet as a mouse as the light revealed two very non-quiet individuals. 

“Edward, right? And Aaron?” Michael asked the two boys, who had stopped setting whatever third-rate vampire trap they could think of to fix him with twin sets of surprise and annoyance on their faces.

“Edgar,” the tougher-looking one gruffed, jabbing his thumb at his brother. “Alan.” The aforementioned nodded his head, silent as ever but supportive of his sibling as he continued to pour a bag of rice under what looked like a large, refrigerator-sized cardboard box. “Matthew, right?”

Heaving a sigh, Michael shook his head. This whole conversation was already a mess. “Michael,” he corrected, looking over Edgar’s shoulder to watch Alan finish up. “What the hell are you guys doing?” he asked, trying to determine if he actually cared and whether or not he should just kick them out anyway.

Edgar matched his irritation, though that may have just been how he normally sounded and looked. “Heard there was vampiric activity going on at the graveyard. Thought we’d scope it out,” he answered as he crossed his arms. “What are _you_ doing out here?” he asked suspiciously, Alan joining him at his side with the empty bag of rice.

Michael pointed at his name badge and gestured with his flashlight. “Security,” he explained simply, which seemed to placate the brothers somewhat. “I’m surprised Sam isn’t with you guys.” Sam had told him before that he wasn’t interested in hunting vampires, but he figured the three would still hang out sometimes, even if to just accuse different people of being a vampire.

“Sam said he’d had enough of killing,” Alan joined in, sounding rather disappointed. “It’s a shame. The way he took out that one vamp with the stereo was awesome. We could use that kind of creativity.”

Michael could practically feel David’s agitation like it was his own, just underneath his skin. He couldn’t see where he had gone off to, but he was evidently still close. _Calm down. Not now,_ he sent the thought, trying to soothe David, wherever he was. He felt himself relax minutely as David answered him in an even, dark tone.

_Soon._

“Look, you both need to go. There are no vampires out here,” Michael told them, walking over to the box and picking it up, shoving the oversized thing into Alan’s arms, startling him. “Rice? What’s that even supposed to do?” he asked in confusion, observing the spilled rice all over the ground.

“Vampires are supposed to have to stop and count every granule before they can move forward,” Edgar explained in a huff, helping his brother carry the other side of the large box. Michael thought back, remembering how David had taken to rearranging his cassette collection, thinking he’d just been bored enough to do so and not because he’d felt compelled. “Thought we could trap one with it.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Michael said bluntly, scattering the rice with a scuff of his shoe. “You guys need to stop believing everything you read, especially from a comic.” He had read the same myth, glad that it had actually turned out to be a myth or he might have been in some serious trouble right then. “Now get out of here. And take your box with you.” They grumbled but eventually started off towards the exit, glancing back at Michael conspiratorially before finally leaving. He breathed a sigh of relief as he heard a nearby tree branch break and suddenly, David was next to him again.

“Next time those kids come around, they better hope you’re nearby,” he muttered, eyes glinting amber in the pale moonlight.

—————————————————

When Michael went in for his shift on the following Monday feeling better now that he’d fed, he was optimistic, actually thinking that this job would work out, despite all the shit that came along with it. Even with all of his trepidation about David tagging along every night, he was grateful for it now, for the entertainment, the company, the extra security. The make-out sessions on whatever surface David shoved him against. He thought back to what he’d told Lucy before, about seeing couples getting intimate in the graveyard, finding it ironic. As long as his pants stayed on, he didn’t mind a few kisses here and there, even if he found the environment questionable.

By the time he parked his bike, Pete was already waiting for him right outside the building. Michael checked his watch, wondering if he was late somehow, but he was five minutes early, even with his mother making sure he’d eaten dinner before heading out. Even David knew not to show up until after midnight just in case something like this happened. Kicking at the stand on the bike, Michael dismounted, approaching his boss wearily. He had never really liked Pete, getting a creepy vibe from the guy since he’d first met him, but it might have just been because he did work in a graveyard. He wondered if that made him creepy now, too. “What’s up?” Michael asked casually, stopping short of the man.

“Let’s chat for a minute, Emerson,” Pete requested, Michael already finding his behavior a bit off. He seemed hesitant, almost frightened as Michael followed him inside into his office, a run-down, dirty room with a small desk and lawn chairs as furniture. Pete gestured to the chair opposite of the desk as he sat down, waiting for Michael to join him. Once he did, Pete sighed heavily, Michael trying not to roll his eyes as he knew it was for dramatic effect. “Do you know why you’re here?” he finally asked.

“Am I fired?” Michael asked in return, not sounding particularly upset about it. There were lots of things he probably shouldn’t have been doing on the job, but in his defense, he had never exactly been given a rule book. Still, he’d only gotten paid once so far and it was nice having some extra cash, even if most of it had gone to his mom. 

Pete shook his head, watching Michael with a wary look in his eye. “I’ve been keeping an eye on you, Michael. Ever since I heard that people have been seeing a vampire around here.” Michael swallowed hard, hoping Pete hadn’t heard it. He and David had been careful about it, not having David vamp out since he’d been warned, but he wouldn’t put it past the Frog brothers giving their number to Pete and telling him to call them if he saw anything. “Did you know my family’s all buried here? My brother was killed because of a vampire attack. They didn’t find him until a few days after he’d disappeared, and all of his blood was gone. Been carrying this with me ever since.” He reached into a drawer of the desk, pulling out a good sized wooden stake, sharper than any Michael had ever seen before. “Never know when you’ll run into one,” Pete continued. Michael watched him anxiously as he stood, stake still in hand as he strode to the door, locking it securely.

“I already told you, I haven’t seen anything around here,” Michael tried to say, but was cut off by Pete slamming the stake down on the desk right in front of him, jumping at the sound.

“I had my doubts about you. Didn’t wanna believe it, but a kid like you, only wanting the overnight hours? Then all of a sudden, you start workin’ here and people start sayin’ they’re seeing vampires? That and, uh…” Pete pointed at the corner ceiling of the room, towards the security mirror set up that reflected Pete’s full, opaque reflection and Michael’s translucent one, only revealing a sliver of the terrified expression on his face at being discovered. Michael turned back around slowly, considering his options. Pete didn’t give him much time to think, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and throwing him down over the desk, pinning him there as he raised the stake above him. It was at that point that Michael tried to reach out to David, asking for help silently and urgently, not having time to elaborate and hoping David would just hightail it. If he got a response, he didn’t hear it, focusing instead on defending himself. “Sorry about this, but you can’t keep on killing innocent people, Michael,” Pete told him, swinging the stake down.

Michael caught it in midair, trying to shove the larger man off of him. “Wait, I-I haven’t actually killed anyone yet,” he tried to justify, kicking himself for adding in the ‘yet’. “I just -“

“Drink their blood?” Pete finished for him accusingly, struggling to keep Michael trapped against the desk and also trying to free his arm from his grasp. “That’s even worse! You _have_ to die, for everyone else’s safety. Your very existence is _wrong_ ,” he spat out, and Michael recoiled, his grip slackening at the words. Pete took advantage of his opportunity, tugging his arm free and once again stabbing downwards with his weapon. 

Michael closed his eyes, hoping it wouldn’t hurt too badly or that Pete would miraculously miss his heart. He thought about his family, and David, and how he’d never see them again if Pete killed him. He thought about turning fully, if he did decide to kill Pete, how he’d never see the sun again, and the disappointed looks Lucy and Sam would give him, the looks of fear that they’d have every time they saw him again that they could be next. He thought of whether or not David would be proud of him for finally making his first kill, or if Michael had altered his perception enough about killing that he, too, would be disappointed. 

At least he’d be alive, though.

Michael could hear Pete’s heartbeat, could hear the blood rushing in his veins. When he opened his eyes again, his vision was yellow, tinted with red at the corners of his eyesight. He felt his facial features start to shift involuntarily, felt his fangs descend on their own. His arm shot out, catching Pete’s in a vice-like grip, making him drop the stake as it rolled off underneath the desk. Pete yelled when he saw the change in Michael, and Michael could _taste_ his fear, more enticing than the blood itself. With a growl, he kicked the larger man off of him, distantly hearing a crash from behind him as he approached Pete on the floor like a predator stalking his prey. Michael grabbed for him, pulling him up from the ground like he was a rag doll, his vampiric strength easily allowing him to lean in and bite down on Pete’s neck. Any scream Pete had stuck in his throat died quickly as his blood filled Michael’s mouth, his racing pulse from adrenaline and fear making his blood taste all the more sweeter. He heard his name being said, heard it shouted again before he was forcefully shoved back, dropping Pete out of his grasp. 

“Fuck, Michael, you’re gonna kill him,” David’s voice rang out urgently behind him, his hand still on Michael’s shoulder. He was wide-eyed, watching Michael carefully, torn somewhat between being impressed at how the half vampire had nearly lost the human part of himself and worried at the same prospect. It would have been easy, to let Michael succumb to his basal instincts, and what David had been hoping for at the start so they could finally truly be together. But ever since Michael had asked him to do the killing, in his quiet, desperate voice, David had made a promise to himself to let Michael hang onto his humanity for as long as he could, as annoying as it was to be his little morality pet. Or maybe that’s what Michael was for him. He didn’t really want to think about it, about how much Michael had changed him already. 

Michael was breathing heavily, blood still clinging to his fangs from the sudden interruption in his feeding. His eyes shifted into their normal blue, fangs receding once more until his harsh vampiric features instead became human again, terrified and grief-stricken. “Did I?” he asked, voice smaller than David had ever heard before. 

“No, he’s still alive,” David told him, pointing up at the security mirror so Michael could see for himself. Michael’s scared expression stared back at him, as if he couldn’t believe it. David picked the almost-dead body up off of the floor, still sensing a feather-light heartbeat in the man before he sighed, letting his own fangs drop so he could drain the last of the man’s blood. Michael might have preferred to let him live, but from the pure, unadulterated fear he’d heard in Michael’s voice when he called out for help, there was no way the bastard was leaving here alive. “I’ll clean this up and then we’ll go home. Sound good?” he asked, Michael nodding numbly in response as he sat back down on the desk he’d just been pinned against minutes before. 

David searched around for a shovel, knowing he’d find one eventually in a graveyard, of all places. Thankfully, it was the middle of the night and nearly pitch black out, so no one saw him dig a fresh grave and drop the corpse inside of it, covering it and patting the dirt down so it looked like it hadn’t ever been dug up. He wondered why he and the boys had never thought to hide the bodies in the graveyard before, realizing it was too much work and more fun to drop them over Hudson’s Bluff anyway, waiting and taking bets to see how long it would take before the bodies hit the water. He smiled at the unexpected bout of nostalgia, deciding he probably shouldn’t tell Michael that little bit. Replacing the shovel, he found Michael in the office again, not having moved from where he’d left him. “Come on, I’ll drive us back,” David offered as he placed a hand on Michael’s back, guiding him through the kicked-in door that Michael just then noticed. He felt David reach for the keys in his pocket, grabbing his hand a little rougher than he had meant to.

“I can do it,” was all he said, leaving David to stare and shrug before following. On the ride back, Michael drove more recklessly than usual, blowing through lights and stop signs even when David pointed them out after the fact. Once they were back up in his room, Michael shed the stuffy uniform from his body for the last time, stuffing it straight into the trash. He seemed more aggressive in general, and while David could take a guess as to why, he decided to take a more proactive approach.

“Michael?” he asked tentatively, throwing his coat in the pile of their collective laundry for the week. “You okay?” A stupid question, probably, but the silence was killing him.

“Okay?” Michael whirled on him, his voice raising in anger. “I almost just _killed_ someone, David! How would _you_ feel?” He caught himself with a laugh, shaking his head as he continued with a bitterness cutting through his words. “Oh wait, you wouldn’t feel anything, because killing is second nature to you. I forgot.”

David blinked, wondering how Michael wanted him to react. If he felt like giving Michael the reaction he was looking for. “Yeah, it is,” he answered bluntly. “But it’s not for you. I get why you’re upset.”

“Upset.” Michael was parroting his words back to him, which most likely meant he was struggling to pinpoint exactly what was bothering him the most, and getting overwhelmed at the same time. David had dealt with him a few times when he was like this and it was always better to just let him blow off steam. “I’m not just upset. I’m fucking _terrified_. I didn’t want you to stop me,” he revealed ashamedly, sinking down onto his bed as he rubbed at his eyes. David joined him, sitting down and placing a comforting hand on the middle of his back. “I thought I knew. God, we’ve been feeding for a while now, and I thought I knew how much I could take, but I don’t and I nearly killed someone.”

David held back a sigh, not sure how to soothe Michael’s grievances here, but he should probably try, shouldn’t he? “You didn’t, though. You just need more time. It’s been, what, a few months? Can’t expect to know immediately what takes most vampires years to learn.” When Michael didn’t respond, David didn’t hold back, his own sigh of frustration escaping as he tried another approach. “It was self defense. If you hadn’t fought back, he would have killed you. I know you know this, Michael - I heard you justifying it. You may have turned fully, but at least you’d be alive.” This seemed to further add to Michael’s guilt as he still didn’t get anything out of him except silence and coldness. Finally, David pulled out the last tried and true approach he could - riling Michael up. “Look, you may not kill the people we hunt, but you come pretty damn close. It’s not a big deal and blood can be addictive if you’re not used to it.”

“I don’t want to get used to it!” Michael roared, shaking off David’s touch and rising from the bed to pace around the room. “I shouldn’t even be in this situation right now. If I’d never met you -“ 

“I didn’t have much of a choice in turning you, Michael,” David spat back at him, and fuck, he really didn’t want to be telling Michael this, but it would have come up at some point anyway. “For god’s sake, I _told_ you Max wanted me to do it so he could trap your mom. I wasn’t exactly dying to change you so quick after we met.”

“Then why did you? I get the feeling you and Max weren’t very close, so why do what he wanted?” Michael asked, irritation still lacing his tone as he did so.

David stilled, eyes downcast as he avoided meeting Michael’s gaze entirely. He struggled with even wanting to continue, nearly tempted to just end the conversation and skulk off downstairs, especially with how Michael was treating him right now. Maybe, though, for once in his long goddamn life, he could afford to show a bit of his demons. “I was scared he’d hurt the other three,” David finally admitted, his volume barely above a whisper. “You know what he did last time I did something he didn’t approve of. I can take whatever shit he did to me, but I would have died before letting him lay a hand on them.” 

Michael stopped his pacing immediately, considering all of the implications of what David had told him, about Max turning him by force. Max had seemed like a normal, stuffy guy, but he supposed the worst people in the world were the most unsuspecting. If what David was saying was true, of how he hadn’t even had much of a choice in Michael’s turning in the first place, he felt like a huge asshole from what he’d said before. “You didn’t wanna be a vampire either, did you?” he speculated, sheepishly joining David on the bed again, this time reaching out and taking one of David’s hands.

“No, but it was better than dying, I guess,” David mused with a forced laugh. “It’s not so bad now, though. Think I’m pretty good at it.” He was trying to cheer himself up, trying to cheer Michael up, too, for that matter. “Besides, I got to meet you, eighty-something years later. I’d say it was worth it.” Taking Michael’s hand, he squeezed it in his own, bumping his shoulder into Michael’s.

With a soft sigh, Michael ran his free hand through his messy curls, rubbing the back of his neck as he chose his words. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it, and I’m more mad at myself than anything, and I’m getting a little fucking tired of all the damn vampire hunters in Santa Carla,” he complained, ending on a laugh that David joined him in. “Had my fill ‘til the end of the year.”

“It’s your fault for wanting to get a job,” David taunted while narrowly missing the punch Michael aimed for his arm. “I’d lay low for a while, if I were you. You keep getting into some pretty dangerous shit.”

“It’s not like I’m _trying_ to get in trouble,” Michael defended himself. 

David scoffed. “You’re like a trouble magnet, Michael. If you’d joined me and the boys, they would have envied you for all the chaos you attract.”

Michael rolled his eyes, but was secretly glad to hear David reminiscing about his lost brothers again in a positive light rather than mourning their loss. “Guess that makes _me_ the bad boy in this relationship. Maybe I should wear your coat for a while.” David glared at him with a look in his eye that said absolutely fucking not. Michael shrugged, getting comfortable and laying down in bed despite the early hour of the night. “You’re right, it’s too short for me.”

That’d keep David busy for a while, judging by the ferocity of the growl and the armful of vampire rage he’d been treated to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longer chapter since I took a while to post, apologies xoxo


	11. you’re in time for the show

Michael was reluctant to tell his mother what happened, since he was really trying his best to be independent and a good adult, but David beat him to the punch over dinner one night. All he’d told Lucy was that the job didn’t work out, leaving it at that and that he would try to look for another one soon. He’d hoped that would be the end of it, but as Lucy mentioned offhandedly that she saw a help wanted flyer at the hardware store that day, David of course had opened his mouth and gotten Michael in trouble with his teasing. Again.

“Yeah, right. Hardware? All that wood and shit? I know your last boss trying to stake you wasn’t your fault, but you’d have to be a masochist to work there and take that risk.” He glanced down, taking another bite of noodles before looking up again, head turning to meet the gaze of three sets of eyes staring back at him. “What?”

Michael was the first to break his stare, setting his fork down and pinching the bridge of his nose. _Remember what I told you not to mention in front of my mom?_ he deadpanned silently, half tempted to reach over and smack David when he glanced up at the ceiling, trying to remember before ultimately shrugging his shoulders.

“I mean, that definitely didn’t happen,” David tried to save, wincing and rubbing at his shin when Michael decided to follow through with his temptation. “Hey, I told you you shouldn’t have gotten a job, especially after we ran into the _last_ hunter.”

David was definitely dying that night. Michael groaned in frustration, dropping his head into his hands as he heard his mom gasp in shock. “The _last_ hunter!?” she exclaimed, and even Sam mirrored her surprise as his eyes widened at the revelation. “Michael, why didn’t you tell me? Are you okay?” she asked, and Michael had to stop a laugh from escaping.

“Yeah, mom, obviously I’m okay,” he reassured her, trying to calm her down. “I didn’t wanna worry you.” Which, judging by her reaction right now, was exactly what he didn’t want. “There’s just a good number of people in Santa Carla who wish we were dead, that’s all. Sam’s friends with two of ‘em.”

Sam scoffed, pushing at Michael’s elbow so it fell off the table. “I told them not to kill you, dummy! They have _some_ compassion,” he defended, glancing over and catching David’s glare at the mention of Edgar and Alan. “Um, I still haven’t told them about the little situation here, but I’m sure they’d spare you too, David. It’s all of the other vampires they want dead.”

“ _They’d_ spare _me?_ I’d like to see them try,” David shot back, starting a back and forth with Sam that Michael couldn’t moderate since he was being interrogated by Lucy at the same time. Yelling broke out at the table and it was hard to keep track of his own conversation.

“You need to be more careful! I know you prefer going out at night, but maybe you need a curfew again.” 

“I’m just saying, the Frogs aren’t stupid! They’ll figure out you’re alive and Michael’s still a vampire eventually!”

“Not if a little rat keeps his mouth shut.”

“Everybody _stop_ ,” Michael ordered, his voice ringing out over the three others as they all quieted down, expressions of worry, annoyance, and flat-out anger looking back at him. “I don’t need a curfew, but I’ll be more careful, mom. And I’ll take a break from the job hunt.” Lucy nodded, accepting this but it didn’t assuage her fears much. “Sam, you know how David feels about the Frogs, so maybe don’t mention them as much?” he continued, earning a huff from his brother about how they were still friends and he should be able to bring them up. “I get that, but there’s still some tension there and you know it.”

Sam balked at him, pointing accusingly at David. “Oh, you’re not gonna yell at him? That’s not fair,” he whined, crossing his arms. “He was fighting too!”

Michael rolled his eyes, asking whatever god to give him strength at that moment. “I’ll deal with him later.” He flinched as David pushed himself away from the table, scraping his chair across the floor loudly on purpose before stalking off upstairs, hearing his door slam a second later. “Guess dinner’s over,” he mumbled, resisting the urge to follow after David immediately. He decided to give him a little space, helping Lucy clean up the kitchen before telling her goodnight, steeling himself for whatever mood was waiting for him behind the closed door.

He poked his head inside, seeing that David had drawn aside the blackout curtains that they had finally put up after Lucy had gifted them, the extra space at the top stuffed with a few blankets but it ultimately kept the sunlight out. He was leaning out of the larger window, smoking, lost in thought. “You here to deal with me now?” came David’s snarky greeting as Michael joined him, looking up at the night sky. 

Michael shrugged, but he was behind David so it wasn’t seen, and he sighed in response instead. “I know you wanna kill those two, but you can’t, and you need to accept that already.” This wasn’t going to be a very pleasant conversation and he was fully prepared for whatever steam David needed to blow off to vent his frustration. 

“Why the hell not?” David snapped, throwing the cigarette butt out of the window and closing it firmly behind him. “Give me one good reason.”

“They’re Sam’s friends,” Michael answered, biting down on his tongue to control himself when David laughed in his face.

“I said a _good_ reason.”

“Sam is my brother and I don’t need him wanting to kill _you_ for killing his friends,” Michael explained in annoyance, feeling like he was trying to explain a circle logic. “What they did was shitty, and I’m not saying you gotta like them, but fighting with Sam every time they come up isn’t helping.” 

David breezed past him, reaching for the pack of cigarettes he’d tossed onto the bed. “Like I give a shit,” he seethed, mewling a noise of surprise when Michael plucked the pack out of his hands and held it above his head. “You know I can fly,” he growled, standing on his tiptoes anyway to reach for the box. 

“So do it, then,” Michael threw back at him, holding him out at arms’ length as he dropped the pack, stamping down on it firmly and crushing its contents. “Oops. Too late.” 

David saw red, shoving Michael back onto his bed and pinning him down by his wrists, snarling and snapping his teeth at him threateningly. “Why don’t I try killing one of _your_ family members and you can tell me how it makes you feel?” he retaliated, face dangerously close to Michael’s, too close for comfort. “Tell me, Michael, how I’m supposed to ever be _okay_ with this!” David was desperate, his voice straining with grief rather than fury. He loomed over Michael, trying to assert the dominance he once possessed, the leadership that came so naturally to him that had allowed him to wear a mask of cool indifference for so long, but it was cracking. Michael didn’t fight back, meeting his steadfast gaze, wondering who would cave first. Finally, David crumbled, burying his face into Michael’s shoulder as he slumped against him, Michael nearly flinching as he expected to be bitten, not a shoulder to cry on. “Do you even care?” came David’s whispered question, and his frame shook as he inhaled to hold in a sob, and Michael’s heart broke.

“Of course I do,” he confirmed softly, freeing one of his hands easily from David’s grasp to card it through David’s hair, hoping his touch was comforting and not another source of stress. “It’s just, we’ve gotten to this point and I don’t wanna take that chance of something happening to you, and Sam’s already killed another vampire. I don’t think he’d do it again, but I think he’s finally warming up to you and the whole vampire thing and I don’t wanna ruin it.” His rambling hopefully made some kind of sense, and he just wanted to make David feel better, but it was nearly impossible to do so given the circumstances. “I love him, and you, and I just don’t wanna risk it.” David was still, but when he pulled away, Michael felt how damp his shoulder was, saw the tears still clinging to the corners of David’s eyes. He hated this, wished he could tell David he could eat anyone he wanted to if it would make him feel better, but he couldn’t. “I want you to stick around for as long as you want, even if it won’t be forever, but especially if it is.”

A beat of silence passed between the two, David making the connection from what he’d told Michael of his previous relationship, and he realized he didn’t need to worry anymore. Max was gone, and so were his brothers, but at least he still had Michael, who he would kill anyone to protect. Who didn’t _want_ him killing anyone unless it was for survival, and unless he was actively in danger, it included those two brats. His life here was safe, and he got to go to sleep every morning nestled in Michael’s strong arms, and it was different from what he was used to, but he wasn’t willing to give that up just to enact some revenge. He hoped wherever the boys were that they’d forgive him.

David could fester, could wither away in bitterness and hope for vindication from his deceased friends, or he could try and move on with the still-breathing and very much alive body below him. He didn’t need Michael in his head telling him that he was there for David however he needed him to be, already knowing this somehow, deep down in whatever remained still of his heart, if anything. The kiss he initiated was slow, full of gratitude and sorrow, of tentative relief. Michael responded in kind, pressing up against David, relishing their probably first kiss that didn’t feel like a bid for dominance - it was David letting himself be completely vulnerable for once in his goddamn life without ruining the whole thing and Michael accepting him wholeheartedly. There were no fangs involved, no paltry attempts to gain the upper hand, just Michael’s hand threading through his hair to ground him to the moment so he wouldn’t slip away. He couldn’t, not with Michael right underneath him, deepening the kiss until even David had to stop and part for air. His feelings just moments before of regret twisted into want, for a distraction, for a reprieve from his racing thoughts, for Michael.

“When’d you get so fucking smooth?” David questioned, already halfway in the process of pushing up Michael’s shirt, getting distracted and leaving it bunched under his arms as he favored dotting his chest in soft kisses and flicks of his tongue instead. 

Michael managed to exhale a laugh in between hitched breaths, fingers tightening in David’s hair as he moved his ministrations lower. “Not as smooth as you,” he deflected, eagerly watching as the button on his jeans was popped open, silently thanking any god listening for David’s ability to redirect his emotions fairly quickly.

David scoffed in disbelief, swiping the back of his hand across his eyes to wipe away any errant tears, attention focused entirely on baring Michael now. “Me? I’m awkward as hell,” he said, and Michael could already tell where this was going, but found it hard to be bothered by it when David’s hand was already indolently stroking him, his pants and boxers shoved down enough for Michael to kick them off himself. 

“We both know that’s not true, why even bother denying it?” Michael got out with some difficulty, propping himself up on his elbows to address David after he ripped his shirt off, finding David’s half-assed attempt at removing his clothes endearing but also painfully frustrating. David must have read his mind right then, as he stopped and stripped himself way more slowly than he needed to, leaving Michael high but not particularly dry by any means. 

Michael didn’t think he’d get an answer until David joined him again, pushing at Michael’s chest so he fell flat against the bed. “Because I have a huge ego and I love when you stroke it,” David purred, leaning back on his knees and gathering himself and Michael in one hand. He slid forward experimentally, Michael’s precome easing the friction on their lengths just enough for him to slide across Michael slowly, teasingly, dragging out a moan from both of them in unison. Letting his head fall back and his eyes close, he felt Michael’s hands curl around his waist, nails digging into the pale flesh there enough to leave marks. The thought made him smile, tracing his free hand down Michael’s chest to his stomach and further still before reaching his slit, joining his other hand momentarily as he ran his fingers through the thin fluid. He knew Michael’s attention was fully on him without even having to look, bringing his hand up to his mouth, putting on a promiscuous show of his tongue circling his digits tantalizingly. David only looked back down at Michael when a whine escaped from him, fingers still hanging out of his smirking lips as he addressed the sound. “What was that?” he teased, finally, _finally_ freeing up that goddamn mouth of his.

Michael bucked his hips up, trying to throw David off of him but David dug his knees into the bed, straddled on top of Michael’s hips firmly. “Get inside me _now_ or I’m going to grab your ass and fuck you right here on top of me,” he threatened, ending in a growl, the command and Michael’s brazen vulgarity sending waves of delight through him. He was never so obscene, so if this was affecting him so much that he was freely throwing out profanities, that made it all the more satisfying to tease him. While his proposal did sound appealing, David would much rather be the one responsible for making Michael come apart tonight and, if he was lucky, scream his name.

“As fun as that sounds, I have some energy pent up I’d just love to take out on you,” David responded, running his fingers through the mess Michael had already made again, silently grateful that he didn’t need to stop and find lube to continue. He might not have needed, or wanted, much preparation, but he wasn’t about to take that risk with Michael, especially for his first time. Michael was nodding, lifting his hips up off of the bed as David played at his entrance with coated fingers, gently pushing his index inside and stilling to let Michael get used to the feeling. When he felt Michael relax his muscles, he moved again, only adding another digit and carefully stretching him open when Michael gave him unspoken permission, too busy muffling his heavy panting into his hand to give it verbally. David removed his fingers, earning him a soft, subdued groan of disapproval as he lined himself up with Michael, reaching out to pull Michael’s hand away from his mouth, pinning it to the bed. “I want to hear you,” he implored, gaze locked with Michael’s as he pressed forward, slipping inside Michael easily, being rewarded with an exhaled moan for doing so. 

David was trying so hard not to push himself in all the way, the tempting heat he had buried himself into breaking his resolve until Michael arched his back, wrenching his hand from David’s grip to grasp at his waist instead, trying to pull him closer. “God, David, _more_ ,” he begged and that was all David needed before he was flush against Michael, the feeling ripping a strained moan from both of their throats. The fullness Michael felt was unbelievable, unlike anything he’d ever experienced before, doubled exponentially when David pulled out nearly all the way and thrusted inside again. He tried to form a rhythm, but Michael was clawing at him, trying to take more than David was even able to give. With a breathless laugh, he pulled out of Michael completely, wordlessly telling him to flip onto his stomach instead, thinking maybe that would satisfy the itch he was looking for David to scratch. 

When Michael complied, leaning on his hands and knees, David slotted himself back between Michael’s legs immediately, his hands running appreciatively over the curve of Michael’s ass as he rocked his hips forward once again. The angle was a definite improvement, Michael shoving the bottom half of his body back onto David each time he tried to withdraw, not granting him any reprieve or ability to pull back out. “Michael, can’t fuck you if I can’t move,” he pointed out through gritted teeth, shoving at the center of Michael’s back so he fell forward against the bed, his knees still drawn up and his hips in the air. “That’s better,” David lilted, threading one hand through Michael’s curls to turn his head to the side, holding him there so he could still see while his other hand flexed around Michael’s waist, supporting himself with a bruising grip as he picked up his movements again. Michael’s fists curled into the sheets, knuckles white from how hard he was gripping them, a little worried of how loud they might be but not nearly enough to stop. 

David didn’t change his angle much, but his continued thrusts began to stir something inside of Michael, the pressure against that sweet spot being stimulated deliciously and relentlessly. His deep moans and intakes of gasped breaths were music to David’s ears, coming more frequently and David realized he’d slipped a hand underneath himself, pumping himself in time to David’s motions. He would have stopped Michael if he didn’t have such a great view of himself sliding in and out of his body, of Michael’s mouth hanging open even as David had the side of his head shoved against the bed. Michael was incanting his name, pitch rising and falling and rising again as David let go of his hair, scratching his nails down his back and that was enough for Michael to come, that extra bit of pain mixed with pleasure. He covered his mouth with his shoulder as he yelled, and it wasn’t David’s name but it was still just as intoxicating to experience, David feeling Michael constrict around him. The drag as he pushed one final time into Michael was the tipping point for him, digging his nails in enough to leave angry red crescent marks in Michael’s perfect skin, using Michael’s body as support for himself so he could stay upright, burying himself inside as far as he could go as he finished. 

Michael’s labored breathing was the only sound for a few moments, David trying to regain his bearings as he carefully withdrew himself, collapsing next to Michael on the bed. The sheets were a sticky, damp mess that he used to clean himself off, David simply not caring as he curled into Michael’s side when he lifted an arm in offering. Michael was sure the two of them could stand to take a shower but wasn’t ready to move yet, head still dizzy with the new sensation and experience. David had asked him something, but he was still busy processing prior events to hear him properly. “Hmm?” he hummed tiredly, David laughing in response. 

“I said, you look good enough to eat,” he repeated, tracing a finger down Michael’s chest and over the bruises he’d left on his waist that he knew would be gone in the morning. His touch lingered over them, a wistful sigh escaping him - marks and scars and bruises were one thing he missed about being human, but at least he could enjoy how they looked on Michael’s skin for a while. “But that could be because I’m getting hungry. Wanna grab a bite?” 

The pun made Michael groan for a good couple seconds, closing his eyes from the secondhand embarrassment while David stared at him with the biggest grin on his face. Finally, he relented, sighing in acceptance at his dork of a partner. “Fine, but can you give me like five minutes so I can feel my legs again?” Michael requested, catching the self-satisfied smirk David’s mouth softened into as he asked. “And we’re washing up first.”

David sighed, extracting himself from Michael’s hold as he stood from the bed and stretched. “Whatever you say. But now that I know how good you look after you’ve been fucked, you’re gonna have a hard time keeping me off of you.” He winked, the sight of his naked body and his mussed hair coupled with it going straight to Michael’s groin. He threw the sheets over his middle, as if David hadn’t caught it the second he’d started getting aroused again. “Come and join me when you can walk again, lover boy,” the vampire teased, reaching for a towel to cover himself on the off chance Sam was in the bathroom for some reason this late. Michael watched him leave, his head still swimming with the salacious activities that they’d gotten up to and wondering what life choices he’d made that had resulted in it.

—————————————-

Autumn was in full bloom as late October came around, Sam in the thicket of school and Lucy putting in extra hours at the video store since he’d started school back up. Michael was awake while the sun was up some days, but he was mostly nocturnal along with David, the pair stumbling groggily into the kitchen around six or so to join Lucy and Sam for dinner and, technically, their breakfast. Lucy was grateful for the earlier nights since she got to see more of Michael and the family fell into a comfortable routine. David started to defrost around Sam again, even helping him with his homework where he could, except for math. Sam knew not to ask him about math again after the Imaginary Numbers Incident of October 29th where he had to come up with a different explanation to his teacher other than ‘a vampire literally ripped apart my calculator’. Luckily, Michael still had his old one that Sam could use.

The day before Halloween, Sam was buzzing, flitting about the boardwalk as he took in all of the spooky decorations and the preparations for the following night that the shops were making. Michael and David followed behind him, both holding their own cups of hot chocolate and adorned in their respective leather jackets, perfect to combat the chill of the night air. They’d agreed to take Sam out for the night since he was doing well in his classes and give Lucy a night to herself. Michael peeked in the windows of the shops occasionally, looking for help wanted signs but not worrying too much about finding a job again until the month ended. He was taking a sip of his now-warm chocolate when David stopped him with an outstretched arm, nearly making him choke on his drink. “What?” he spluttered, wiping droplets of the liquid from the front of his jacket as he fixed David with an irritated look.

“Look what they’re putting on tomorrow,” David said in awe, pointing to the marquee lit up behind the stage.

Michael squinted, reading it off. “‘Rocky Horror Picture Show shadow cast’? What’s that?” he asked, familiar with the movie but not what a shadow cast was. David stared at him, disappointment but not surprise evident on face. 

“They play the movie like normal in the theatre, but there’s a group of actors who act out the movie in front of the screen,” David explained, resisting the urge to ask how Michael hadn’t heard of it, sometimes forgetting what different worlds he and Michael had come from. “Me and the boys would go every Halloween night. It’s a lot of fun.”

Thinking back to the Polaroid he’d seen and his knowledge of the movie, Michael smirked knowingly. “I knew it! _That’s_ why you guys were wearing fishnets in that picture. I need to find that again, you looked great.”

David rolled his eyes, but he was smiling, starting them back on the boardwalk’s trail so they could follow Sam, who had stopped inside the Frogs’ shop while they were talking. “We’re going,” he declared, finishing off his hot chocolate and chucking it in a nearby garbage can.

“Do we have to? Isn’t that movie kinda...raunchy?” Michael speculated, seeing it when he was in his freshman year and thinking it was way over the top, though the songs were catchy.

“It’s completely filthy,” David confirmed with a grin. “That’s why it’s fun. Everyone is barely dressed and most of them are so drunk, they don’t know what’s going on. It’s like the perfect night to take your pick of food.” He sidled up next to Michael, swiping his cup and downing the remaining hot chocolate despite Michael’s protests. “Now that I think about it, with you growing your hair out a little, you’d make a great Frank ‘n Furter,” he mused, reaching a hand out and running it through Michael’s curls appreciatively. “Put you in a corset, some fishnets, and heels...you could actually win the costume contest they hold every year.”

“What? No way,” Michael shot down with a laugh and a shake of his head. “You’re not putting me in a pair of heels. I’ll fall straight on my ass.”

“They don’t _have_ to be stilettos,” David conceded, Michael staring at him in shock, dumbfounded by this whole conversation. “I’m sure your mom has kitten heels you could borrow.”

The entire outfit was embarrassing, but David seemed so genuinely excited that Michael couldn’t turn him down. “I guess it is Halloween,” he justified. David had practically jumped with excitement, grabbing Michael’s arm and pulling him into the nearest apparel store to start shopping. He was grateful he still had some money left over from his one paycheck, most of it going to his mom but she insisted he keep a little for himself since he’d earned it. Nearly all of it was spent on a corset in his size, fishnet stockings, and what had to be fake pearls for the price they were sold at. They corralled Sam and headed back home, Michael driving Lucy’s car and Sam shotgunning, having called it before David who pouted in the back seat the whole way back.

It wasn’t too late when they got back and Lucy was still awake, David practically flying into the house with the bag to inform her of their last minute Halloween plans. Michael was making sure the car was locked and Sam had all of his loose new comic books before they went in when he heard a squeal of delight from his mother. 

“Oh gosh, Michael, you’re going to look so good!” she told him when he entered the house, David behind her shooting him a victorious little smile. “Of course you can borrow my heels, I hope they fit. And I should have some makeup around here somewhere, I just haven’t bothered with it since the whole Max thing.”

Michael groaned, fixing his mom with a look of shock. “Mom, you like that movie too?” he asked, hoping she might have been able to save him from this.

“It’s one of my favorite movies, honey,” Lucy informed him, clapping her hands together in delight. She turned, rounding on David, and Michael was excited to see _this_ play out. “So, David, you’re going to be Rocky, right?” she asked, though it didn’t really sound like he had much of a choice. “I can cut your hair for you, and we can make his little golden shorts for you -“

“Whoa, Rocky? Why can’t I be Riff Raff instead? My hair’s already kinda like his,” David protested. Lucy seemed disappointed, but he finally sighed in acceptance and nodded. “Fine, I’ll be Rocky,” he agreed, hiding the small smile when Lucy drew him in close and hugged him tightly.

“Okay, sit tight. I’m going to go find a pair of scissors and a bowl,” she told him, running off somewhere in the house. David followed after her, hot on her trail. 

“Lucy, you can cut my hair but over my dead body are you giving me a _bowl cut_ ,” he protested, the sounds of both of their voices fading off as they made more Halloween plans. Michael was nervous, but excited at the same time, mostly by the prospect of getting to see David in a pair of golden shorts and nothing else for the whole night.

——————————————

Lucy did in fact cut David’s hair short, David looking completely different when he came out of the bathroom. It wasn’t a bowl cut, thank god, but it was a good number of inches shorter, completely off of his neck now and cleaned up on the sides. He kept his length on top, and while Michael found it hard to keep his eyes off of him, he’d miss his longer hair, wondering if it was even possible to grow back. He asked as much as David was admiring himself in the mirror, despite his lack of reflection, after thanking Lucy for not fucking up his hair. Or so he hoped.

“It’ll grow back. I think,” David added on as an afterthought with a laugh. “I mean, usually one of the guys cut it for me whenever it started getting too long, so I have no idea how quick it grows. No mirrors, you know?” He turned back around to face Michael, a pleased smile on his face. “How’s it look?”

“Different,” Michael answered, following it up quickly. “But it really suits you. You look like you’re actually eighteen again.”

“Yeah, that’s why I grew it out in the first place,” David told him with a sigh. “The boys didn’t take me seriously since they all had long hair too. Think I prefer it shorter anyway, even if I do look younger.”

“Didn’t you say you were turning one hundred this year? When’s your birthday?” Michael asked out of curiosity as Lucy joined them in the kitchen after she put everything away. She had one of Sam’s old puffer, golden jackets that Michael wondered if he knew she’d taken along with her sewing machine and another pair of scissors, already cutting the fabric and measuring, checking the pants David was already wearing for reference. David seemed to enjoy it, almost feeling like Lucy was his mom at the moment too, holding pins for her when she needed it.

“Tomorrow,” he answered and Michael laughed, thinking it was a joke. “No, really.”

Michael stared at him. “Your birthday is actually on Halloween?” he asked, disbelief evident on his face. He shook his head. “You’re a vampire and you were born on Halloween. You’re like a walking spooky wet dream for goths.”

Lucy chided him for his crude language again, but David chuckled in amusement at the thought. “That’s funny. I thought you were a jock, not a goth,” he sassed, Michael shooting him a glare at the comment. When Lucy handed him the shorts to go try on, he thanked her and took them into the bathroom, blowing Michael an air kiss on the way. 

“You humor him way too much,” Michael scolded his mom, though there was no real bite in his tone.

“He’s a nice boy,” Lucy returned, rubbing a hand comfortingly up and down his back. Michael couldn’t believe she was saying that about the guy who had wrecked the house with his gang a few months earlier in a revenge attempt. “Besides, I see how happy he makes you. You’ve come a long way from how you were in Phoenix.” 

“I know,” Michael agreed, leaving the conversation at that. He didn’t need negative memories of his father and picking fights whenever he could pushing at the front of his mind right now. 

David reappeared wearing the shorts and nothing else except his boots, evidently pretty comfortable in the getup as he checked himself out as best as he could without a mirror. “I’m not modest, but even I feel pretty exposed,” he said, despite the pleased smile on his face. 

“You’re gonna freeze your ass off in that,” Michael pointed out with his own amused grin. 

David scoffed, placing his hands on his hips. “You already know I run cold. I’ll be fine.”

————————————————

Saturday morning, Lucy cooked a nice breakfast for her and Sam and after they ate, she helped him finish up his Superman costume, though he was actually going as Clark Kent-as-Superman. She’d sewn the Superman patch on a blue shirt for him that he wore underneath a white button-down dress shirt, a red tie and black suspenders, topping the look off with some black thick-rimmed glasses. He had even dyed his hair black with her help and she’d made a prop press reporter badge for him to wear on the outside of his shirt pocket. He was beyond excited, already in his costume and having worn it for most of the day when Michael and David woke up, David taking no time at all to change into his shorts and boots. Michael envied him, with the amount of work that he’d need to put into getting ready. 

“Relax. It doesn’t start until midnight,” David told him, lounging on the sofa and watching television with Sam while Lucy started to apply Michael’s eye shadow. He kept flinching, but she was patient, waiting for his eye to stop fluttering before she tried again. He already had on the rest of the costume - the corset, fishnets, short black shorts he’d _insisted_ on wearing rather than black underwear, fingerless gloves, and pearl necklace. The heels he kept off for now, knowing they were going to be a pain to walk in later. At least David had said he could wear his leather jacket too, since Frank did wear it later on in the movie, and it made him a little more comfortable.

“Are you guys going trick or treating too?” Sam asked, turning away from the slasher flick David had decided on. 

David shook his head. “Nah, we’re gonna see if we can win a costume contest and drink. You know, how adults spend Halloween.” He reached out from his lying position on the couch, ruffling Sam’s now-dark hair. “You’ll find out when you get older.”

Sam swatted his hand away, idly wondering if David had picked that up from Michael and if he realized how annoying it was. “Whatever. I’m gonna get a butt load of candy. It’s gonna be great.”

“You better share some of that,” David warned him. “It _is_ my birthday, you know.” Sam rolled his eyes, swiping the remote away from him and turning on a monster movie instead. 

“Yeah, right. No one’s birthday is actually on Halloween,” Sam declared. 

“Oh, David, there’s something on the counter for you,” Lucy called over her shoulder. “I’m sorry it’s not more but I was busy helping Sam today.”

David perked up, hopping up from his seat on the couch and striding into the kitchen. He came back in holding a cupcake on a plate, adorned with three numbered candles spelling out ‘100’. Lucy called him over and she quickly lit the candles while Michael rubbed at his eyes, effectively smearing all of the work that she’d just done to him. 

“Make a wish!” she told him, and Sam sat up, watching him as he blew out the candles.

“It’s _actually_ your birthday? On Halloween? That’s so cool!” he gushed as David sat at the table to peel the wrapper back on the cupcake. 

“Eh. Loses its charm after a hundred of them,” David said with a shrug, but gave a winning smile to Lucy. “Thanks, Lucy. Can’t remember the last time I actually celebrated one of these things.”

She beamed at him, glad to have been able to get him something, even if it was small. “You should always celebrate your birthday. You never know if it’ll be your last!” she commented, evidently missing the morbidity in her statement as she smiled and winked at David. Turning her attention back to Michael, she sighed. “Michael, dear, it’s not that bad. Just quit rubbing your eyes. We still have your blush and lipstick to put on.”

Michael breathed in deeply, resisting the urge to rub his eyes again as his mother reapplied the shadow for the third time.

————————————————

Once she’d finished putting his makeup on, Lucy left with Sam to take him trick or treating, first around the neighborhood and then on the boardwalk since there were a couple of stations set up giving candy away the whole night. She’d told both boys to be extra careful and not get into any trouble, hesitant to even let them go out so late, but Michael promised they’d leave at the first sign of danger and keep the vampirism to a minimum, not clueing her in on the fact that they’d probably feed that night. She didn’t need to know their timeline specifically. It was nearing ten at night and David suggested they leave early to walk the boardwalk a bit and people watch. Michael didn’t know if it was to scope out potential victims or something more innocent, like seeing everyone’s costumes, but he agreed either way, letting David drive this time as he didn’t feel safe doing so in heels. He wasn’t exactly sure how he was feeling, uncomfortable as hell being at the top of the list as he clung to David’s bare midriff, the wind whipping up and under his jacket and making him shiver. 

They got to the boardwalk and it was bustling more than ever, despite the later hour. Michael was self conscious as they dismounted and David could sense it immediately. “Michael, you look great, I promise,” he reassured, standing in front of Michael and trying to look him in the eye, though it was even more difficult now that he was a good couple of inches taller. “Now, think you can walk without falling on your ass?”

Michael swallowed anxiously, pulling his jacket tighter around his body. “Uh, I guess so,” he answered, taking a few experimental, wobbly steps forward. “Are you sure no one’s gonna think I’m weird?”

“Nice costume, dude! You look hot!” someone in a Jason mask told him, shooting finger guns at them as he passed by. “See you at the show!”

David had to stifle a laugh at Michael’s bewildered expression. “Yeah, I’m sure,” he teased, looping his arm through Michael’s and starting them down the boardwalk. Almost everyone was in costume and they saw a parade of pirates, ghosts, Elvises and witches passing by. Michael was still unsteady on his feet but started to get the hang of it, trying not to make David stumble as he got more comfortable. They both got a good number of compliments as they passed, including one from someone who thought their height difference was ‘adorable’. David marked them down as a definite contender for a meal later. 

It started to near midnight and they made their way to the theatre to join the line already forming, Michael surprised at the number of people in Santa Carla who were into this so much. David just shook his head knowingly as they got in line behind a girl in a maid costume, leaning against the wall. “Didn’t expect to see this many people here, did you?”

“I didn’t know they got so into it,” Michael commented, watching more flocks of people get into line behind them, nearly all of them dressed in different degrees of scantily-clad. 

“Part of the reason I love Santa Carla and half the reason why I’m sure Max hated it.” Michael looked at him curiously, waiting for him to explain. “He was a big traditional guy, Michael. Let’s just say he wouldn’t have been too pleased with us being here.” David looked him up and down, gesturing at his outfit and his makeup and then his own lack of clothing.

“He was homophobic too?” Michael asked, that little tidbit not actually shocking him that much. 

David shrugged, putting his arm through Michael’s again as the line started to move. “‘Boys need a mother and a father’. That’s what he was always trying to tell us, and eventually, we got sick of the whole big happy family thing he was trying to do. Sure as hell didn’t wanna be _family_ with a guy who wouldn’t accept you for who you are, and the boys agreed.” He turned to Michael with a shit-eating grin. “We just loved to embarrass the hell out of him. Four queers coming into this straight-laced square’s shop and fucking shit up? It was the best.” 

Michael admired David and the boys’ confidence in themselves, though he wondered if they were able to be so proud because of what they were, able to tear out the throat of whoever decided to fuck with them. “Fun as that sounds, my mom would probably end you if you tried that while she was at the shop.”

“Your mom’s cool with me. I only mess with people who start shit first,” David told him. “Like that one girl who called me short,” he grumbled.

“She didn’t say you were short. She said our height difference was adorable,” Michael reminded him, trying to keep the amusement out of his voice. “She also thought we’d win the costume contest, so it was a compliment.”

“We better,” David agreed. “There’s a five hundred dollar cash prize. Thought you could give some of the money to Lucy.”

“What? You didn’t say _that_ ,” Michael exclaimed.

David couldn’t hold back his laugh at Michael’s shock. “Well, there is. So strut your stuff, honey,” he encouraged, slapping Michael’s ass playfully as they finally got inside.

They did win the costume contest, and without any added vampiric help, though it had been close with the couple dressed up as Magenta and Riff Raff. The tipping point that pushed it in their favor might have been David grabbing the lapels of Michael’s jacket and kissing him in front of the whole theatre, which erupted in screams and applause as he did so. “Sex sells,” David had told him after the show with a shrug and a smirk. 

“I’m surprised no one kicked our ass for that,” Michael said, biting back a laugh as he leaned forward to wipe some lipstick from the corner of David’s mouth. 

“Anywhere else, they might have tried. Rocky Horror is definitely the time and place for that kind of stuff.” He waved the wad of cash in front of them, sticking it in Michael’s jacket pocket to hang onto. “Did you like it?”

“Yeah. It was different, but it was fun,” Michael assessed, only beginning to feel the pain from the heels now. Groups of people milled about in front of the theatre, a few of them congratulating the two for winning the contest. The boardwalk was still buzzing despite it being nearly two in the morning, and while most people were hanging out and talking about the show excitedly, a group of clearly drunk guys passing by the theatre at the same time as the movie getting out and deciding to harass some of the patrons was their clear choice for dinner that night. The two vampires followed them until they were away from the crowd and they only had enough time to make one offensive quip about Michael’s outfit before David was already neck-deep in one of the guys, Michael following suit not long after. They’d never taken on so many people at once, but from the slurs they were slinging in front of the theatre, it was definitely worth it.

“It’s been a good night,” David commented when they’d returned home, the moon already starting to disappear in the sky. “Thanks for doing this with me.”

“Anytime,” Michael answered, scrubbing at his face with a towel to get the makeup off. “Well, not any time. I’m not wearing heels every day for you.”

“I know what you meant, dork,” David replied, unlacing his boots and getting into bed. “Just, I’ve changed a lot for you over the past couple of months, and it wasn’t always easy. Or what I _wanted_ to do. So I appreciate you stepping out of your comfort zone tonight for me.” He still wasn’t the best at talking about his feelings, especially _genuine_ ones like this, but he did want to let Michael know how much it meant to him. “Felt like one of the nights from before everything happened.”

Michael watched him carefully, knowing he probably shouldn’t tease and possibly screw something up, if David was trying to be real with him. “I never would have expected you to be into this kinda stuff. It was fun, seeing a different side.” Or maybe he could tease a little bit. “Especially seeing you in those gold shorts. Do you even know how many people were staring at you?” 

“Hope you didn’t get too jealous. It was just a costume,” David answered with his usual smirk. “And no one else besides you gets to see what’s underneath.” He raised a brow, a clear invitation that he hoped Michael would be able to pick up on. “Can I get my present now?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to post this in time for Halloween but you know, I got married that day instead 😂💀


	12. away with the boys in the band

November crept up on the Emersons and co. quickly, and true to his word, since Michael hadn’t yet found a job, he helped his mother around the house more where he could. It was nice, spending time with her some evenings and she taught him some skills he never would have imagined himself learning - hand sewing, the basics of cooking, and how to effectively get blood out of clothing. He hadn’t even asked about the last one, but she felt it necessary to tell him after the third time he’d done laundry and the stains still hadn’t come out. David joined him occasionally, mostly sticking around for the cooking lessons and after a few times of watching her make dinner, they attempted to do the same one night. The lasagna they’d tried to make was only lightly burned and barely edible, but she and Sam had choked it down anyway, thanking the boys for their effort. 

Sam was excelling in his classes and Lucy loved to sing his praises during dinner, Michael feeling proud of his little brother’s accomplishments despite the chaos he was currently living with. He actually thanked David for his help with his history homework and David had brushed it off, but Michael could tell he was proud of Sam, in his own way - that or being thanked was an ego boost. 

He rode along with Lucy when she went into work one Saturday morning, wishing to go to the boardwalk to get some new comics and promising he’d be careful walking around until she was done. Despite all the time that they’d lived there, he still hadn’t had an opportunity to see all of the different shops and attractions yet. She was only working a few hours to get some paperwork done before her and Sam went grocery shopping afterwards. Sam milled about, excitedly petting the dogs that he passed along the way and picking up some bigger pieces of trash that had been tossed onto the ground, window shopping mostly as he had one goal in mind for the money in his pocket. A couple of hours passed before he was starting to get hungry, deciding to stop by the comic shop before getting something to eat. Edgar and Alan were there, acknowledging him with a curt grunt and a nod in greeting, respectively. He looked around a bit in their newest collection but didn’t find anything, sighing longingly.

“You guys haven’t been getting much new stuff in, huh?” he asked, watching as Edgar huffed and shoved the box he’d been stocking shelves from.

“Everyone’s back in school. Business gets slow around this time,” Alan answered for him, shooting a look at his brother. “We’re just a little strapped for cash right now.”

“Wanna come get some lunch with me? My treat,” Sam asked, feeling like they hadn’t had too much time to hang out lately, but he still liked to catch up with them even if their interests and hobbies weren’t exactly lined up anymore. If business wasn’t doing too well either, he didn’t mind spotting them, especially if he didn’t plan on buying anything and had the money to do so. “I mean, if you can leave.”

Both boys turned to look at the sleeping forms of their parents, Edgar picking himself off of the ground with the box on his hip as he stacked it on top of the counter. “Fine, if you’re offering,” he agreed, taking his set of keys from his pocket and locking the shop. Sam wondered if their parents had keys of their own or if they’d need to wait for the boys to come back, or really, what their upbringing had been like for them to turn out like this. 

Sam picked a diner he hadn’t been in before, wanting to try every food joint that was on the boardwalk that he could. There were a few people sitting inside but the bar was clear, which is where the three decided to sit. Sam had just opened up his menu when Edgar jabbed a thumb behind him. “Isn’t that the vamp chick? Who had the kid?” he asked and Alan looked over his shoulder to confirm with a nod.

“What? Star?” Sam asked none too quietly, lifting his head from the menu with a start as he turned around on his stool. Sure enough, Star was taking another table’s order, her bouncy hair pulled back into a ponytail and her usual dazzling smile present on her face. Sam gawked at her, long enough for her to glance over at the trio, her expression turning into one of surprise as she laid eyes on them. She recovered quickly, finishing up the order as if she hadn’t been interrupted before making her way over to the three. 

Sam ducked back around quickly, hissing at the other two. “Did you know she was still in town?” he asked.

Edgar gave a shrug while Alan answered. “We’ve seen her around once or twice. Thought she was still living with you guys.”

Sam took a few more moments to panic internally before Star reached them, an apologetic smile gracing her features. “Hi, Sam,” she greeted, meeting the gaze of the other two boys warily, remembering how they had wanted to stake her just a few months prior. “It’s been a while.”

“Yeah, I’ll say,” Sam replied, no real bite in his response, even if he did feel a little disappointed with how she had just up and left, but he’d blamed Michael instead for that. “Um, how’ve you been?”

Star sensed that he was still on edge, sighing softly as she placed her pen and notepad in her apron pocket, realizing this might take a minute. “Good, actually. I have this job now and I got enrolled at the college, so I’m taking some classes to study ethics.” 

Nodding like he figured adults were supposed to do in this situation, Sam swallowed anxiously. “That’s - that’s great. Glad you’re doing okay.”

A beat of silence passed between the two, the Frog brothers already zoning out of the conversation and discussing that night at Sam’s house amongst themselves and how awesome it had been. “I’m sorry for up and leaving like that, Sam. It was complicated,” she tried to explain, using Michael’s word to describe the entire situation before, wondering if Sam was still in the dark about the whole thing and if she should reveal the secret. She desperately wanted to, still caring for Michael and his well-being even after what happened, unable to shake her overwhelming and sometimes undeserved compassion for him.

“It’s fine, Star. I totally understand why you did now,” Sam answered, holding both of his hands up. “No one blames you for leaving. Mike’s still kind of pissed off about his bike, though,” he said with a snicker, relaxing a little when Star joined in, happy to see her comforting smile again. He purposefully kept their conversation as vague as he possibly could, since the Frogs were still very much in the dark about the entire thing and he wanted to keep it that way. 

Star exhaled in relief, laying her hand across her chest. “Oh, good, I’m so glad it’s not a secret anymore and that he’s okay. Tell him I’m sorry for taking his bike, but with him still being a vampire and, worse, keeping _David_ alive with him? And he wanted me to keep it from you and your mom? I just couldn’t do it. I had to leave.”

Sam had waved his hand frantically, put his finger over his lips in a silent plea for Star to stop talking, but she hadn’t seen him doing so, having turned around to pour some fresh cups of coffee for one of her tables and was talking over her shoulder to him. When she turned back around after gathering some creams and sugar, the three boys were gone, Sam’s stool still spinning as if he’d just sprinted up and off of it. She looked around, puzzled, before going to tend her table.

“What the hell, Sam!? Your brother’s still a vampire?” Edgar shouted at him, pinning him by his arm against the wall of the back of the restaurant. Alan had his other arm trapped too, Sam trying to make a run for it as both sets of eyes had slid over to him when Star revealed why she’d left. They caught up with him easily enough, Sam never having been very good at track or any sport, really.

Sam tried to shimmy his way out of their grasp, struggling against them as he grunted in frustration. “Let go of me or I’m not telling you anything!” he yelled back, rubbing at his arms when they finally shared a look and released him. “Okay, yeah, he’s still a vampire, but it’s not a big deal. Trust me.”

Alan scrubbed a hand down his face in frustration as Edgar threw his hands up, both clearly not believing what he was saying. “ _Trust_ you? Not a goddamn chance. You lied to us for months, Sam! You and him both!”

“I never lied to you, you guys just never asked,” Sam defended lamely, knowing it definitely wasn’t helping at the moment. “He hasn’t killed anyone though!”

“Then how the hell is he still alive?” Alan filled in when Edgar was too busy in his ire. “Half vampires aren’t supposed to survive if they go more than a month or two without blood, but he’s fine?”

Well, it was all coming out now, and Sam knew he couldn’t exactly keep David a secret forever. “He’s had some help,” was all he offered, exhaling in subdued anger when they pinned him against the wall again. “Remember the one we thought was the head vampire, who Michael thought he killed? He’s still alive.”

The Frogs gaped at him, evidently everything they were remembering from that night and Michael’s behavior since making sense. “That’s why your brother wouldn’t let us take care of that one,” Edgar concluded in awe. “He was keeping him alive because he was in cahoots!”

Sam rolled his eyes, shoving their arms off of him again. “Michael wasn’t in _cahoots_ with David,” he rebutted. “He saved him because he was hurt, that’s all. He’s still got _some_ morals.”

“Then why hasn’t he killed the shit-sucker yet?” Edgar threw back, crossing his arms. “He wants to be human again, doesn’t he?”

Clearing his throat, Sam hesitated, looking to the ground. “That’s, um, complicated,” he offered sheepishly, unsure of anything about this whole situation that _wasn’t_ complicated. “It’s not really my business…” He didn’t exactly want to say that his older brother was practically married to the vampire who turned him, especially to a couple of vampire hunters.

“Well, it’s definitely _our_ business,” Edgar growled, turning on his heel and gesturing for Alan to follow.

“Whoa, wait, what do you mean?” Sam called after them before they could stalk away. “You’re not gonna go after them, are you?”

Edgar turned around sharply to face Sam again. “You gonna stop us?” he asked, poking a finger roughly in the center of Sam’s chest. He waited a moment before facing away from Sam, following Alan’s lead. “That’s what I thought.” The siblings walked off, Sam going back and forth through a hundred thoughts in his head of what he should do. Returning to the main boardwalk, he found his mom just getting off of work, visibly shaken but trying not to appear as much. 

“Are you okay, honey?” Lucy asked as they got back in the car to head to the grocery store.

Sam nodded, not wanting her to worry about another impending vampire hunter attack on her own son, especially because of him. He’d have to deal with the Frog brothers himself if they showed up.

————————————————

Throughout their whole shopping trip, Sam was silently praying that the Frogs hadn’t decided to immediately head over to his house and had instead decided to wait before striking. He was distracted but helped Lucy find what she needed anyway, knowing that if he let his own anxiety show, it would cause his mother’s to spike as well. They got home in the late afternoon and right after he helped her put the groceries away, he rushed upstairs, not even able to hear Lucy asking if he wanted to help her make dinner. He was at Michael’s door in a flash, knocking quickly as he hopped from side to side on his feet nervously. When he didn’t get an answer immediately, he groaned and hurried quickly through his room and their connected bathroom, bursting through it just as Michael had gotten up and opened his main bedroom door. “Michael!” he yelled, unsure of where to even start.

“Sam?” his brother asked groggily, confused as to how he had just been knocking at his bedroom door but appeared in the bathroom doorway instead. He closed it, stifling a yawn as he regarded Sam and his jittery behavior. “What do you want?”

“Michael, the Frogs, lunch, _Star_ was there, and I tried to stop her but it just slipped out, and they got it out of me and I _tried_ , you gotta believe me, but they know now and they’re _pissed_ at me and they might be coming and I’m so sorry!” Sam fired out rapidly, a flurry of words coming out of his mouth as he paced around Michael’s room, flailing his arms and his voice dropping and rising in pitch. 

Michael stared at him for a good minute, blinking rapidly. “Uh, what?” he finally asked, his sleepy brain still trying to make it past Sam’s first couple of words.

David groaned from underneath the covers, bringing them down from over his head as he shielded his eyes with his arm. “Sam was gonna buy his friends lunch ‘cause their shop sucks and they’re broke as shit, so they went out to eat and Star was there. She let your little secret slip out and they heard it and got the truth out of Sam and now they’re probably pissed at Sam because they feel _betrayed_ or whatever and they’re probably gonna try to come after us.” 

The brothers stared at him, equal parts shocked and impressed. Sam nodded quickly, pointing his finger in David’s direction. “That, yeah.” He paced some more, the guilt clear as day on his face. “Shit, what if they do come? What are we gonna do?”

There was way too much to try and focus on one thing at a time, the information and the queries overwhelming Michael, who hadn’t even been awake for more than a few minutes at that point. “Wait, Star was there?” he chose to address, earning twin groans from David and Sam in stereo. 

“I knew you’d ask about that first,” David said on the end of a scoff. He’d moved past any jealousy he might have had over what happened between Michael and Star, but it was evident that Michael still had some kind of lingering fondness for her that he might not ever be able to shake. 

Michael shrugged. “She still has my bike! And I thought she’d have left town by now.”

“She’s working at one of the diners now and she’s in college too and can we please focus on the fact that the Frogs know you’re still a vampire and David is alive!” Sam tried to direct the conversation back to its main point, feeling like the two weren’t taking this whole thing as seriously as they should be. “They might come over here and stake you guys!”

David finally sat up, eyes barely open as he fixed Sam with a look of tired irritation. “If they do, I’ll kill them,” he answered simply, unfazed at the blank stare Sam was giving back to him, apparently waiting for the punchline or the ‘just kidding’.

“You can’t _kill_ them! They’re my friends,” Sam countered in exasperation.

“And Michael’s your brother,” David reminded him cooly. “Which means they’re probably gonna try to come after me so he can go back to being human. And if they do try something, I’ll kill them.” He shrugged, like it was no big deal. “Either they leave us alone or they die. Only reason I haven’t gone after them yet is because Michael told me not to, but if him or me are in danger, well.” He left the end of his sentence ambiguous, but it was fairly clear what he meant.

Sam looked conflicted, torn between the two. Michael considered for a moment before piping up. “Can’t you just tell them to back off?”

“They left before I could,” he answered, downtrodden. “I told them you hadn’t killed anyone yet, but they asked why you hadn’t killed David and didn’t you wanna be human still, but I didn’t tell them why, because I don’t really know either, I mean, David’s great and all, but -“

“I love him, Sam,” Michael cut him off, voice firm. “That’s why.”

Exhaling a loud sigh, Sam pinched the bridge of his nose. “Of course you do,” he said on the end of it, sounding completely done with Michael. “Leave it to you to fall in love with a goddamn vampire.”

“As the goddamn vampire in question, thanks, Sam, for letting us know,” David added. “Not much we can do now except wait and see if they come.”

“Wait and see? _That’s_ your plan?” Sam asked condescendingly. “Aren’t you guys gonna hide or something? They’re trained hunters and they’re mad as hell.”

David waved him off. “I think I can handle them. I hope they _do_ give me a reason to kill them, actually.” Michael hit his arm for that comment, turning back to Sam.

“It’ll be fine. Maybe they won’t even come.”

Sam had a bad gut feeling, but nodded in hopeful optimism at Michael’s words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buckle up y’all


	13. a light to burn all the empires

Edgar and Alan did, in fact, come the next day. It was shortly after Sam and Lucy had lunch that a raucous banging sounded at the front door, Sam already on high alert as he went to answer it before his mother could leave the table. He threw it open, sticking his head outside so she couldn’t hear the conversation. “Look, you guys, just go, okay? I don’t want anyone to get hurt -“

Edgar cut him off immediately. “People in town are _dying_ because of your brother and his little vampire friend,” he gruffed, Alan nodding in agreement next to him. “We’ll try not to hurt Michael, but if he gets in the way, he’s getting staked, too.” The larger teen shouldered his way past Sam, who tried to grab for him but was stopped by Alan’s outstretched arm holding him back. 

“Wait, stop!” Sam yelled, attracting the attention of Lucy as she came into the main room.

“Oh, hi, boys,” she greeted hesitantly, seeing the large duffel bags slung over their shoulders and the canteens they both were wielding. Edgar turned to face her and she stopped in her tracks, seeing the look on his face along with Sam flailing in the grasp of the quieter sibling near the door. “What’s going on?”

“Bloodsucker business, Ms. Emerson,” was all Edgar told her, heading in a beeline for the stairs. 

Sam finally broke free as Alan ran over to join his brother. “Mom! They’re gonna stake David and Michael!” he relayed to her in a panic, her eyes widening as she moved to the foot of the stairs before the two boys could reach them.

“I don’t think so,” Lucy told them firmly, her mom voice going straight into authoritative mode. Edgar and Alan stopped, unsure of what to do here, not wanting to forcibly move Sam’s mom but determined to get upstairs. 

“Do you know what your son’s been doing?” Edgar asked her, his tone accusatory. “He might still be half human, but if he’s protecting a vampire and gets in our way, Sam’s gonna be an only child.”

Chaos erupted then, Sam yelling and Lucy shouting at them, the Frogs shouting back though it was mostly Edgar taking the lead as he tried to raise his voice over the two of them. Nanook even joined in, the sound of his barking upstairs in Sam’s room adding to the ruckus. All of their voices stopped instantly when Michael’s door opened and he took a step out, expression stormy as he stood at the top of the staircase, glaring at the two siblings. “Get out of here,” he told them simply, David still in the darkened room behind him, standing in the doorway and catching the attention of the brothers.

“There he is!” Edgar exclaimed, zipping open his bag and pulling out the Super Soaker half-full of holy water, aiming it over Michael’s shoulder as he depressed the trigger. Sam reached for the front of it, pushing it towards the ceiling and Alan tried to pull him off of Edgar, the three boys fighting over the water gun and yelling indistinctly. Lucy was trying to de-escalate the situation but wasn’t getting far, Michael sensing that she wouldn’t be able to get rid of them by herself. He started down the stairs before David could stop him, ready to pick them both up and throw them out on their asses for being so idiotic to try something like this. Edgar and Sam were still fighting over the water gun while Michael picked Alan up by the back of his shirt, lifting him off of the ground and taking a step towards the door. Edgar finally wrestled the gun back, aiming for the hand holding his brother up and squeezing the trigger. Michael yelled in shock, the holy water not melting his flesh on contact but it still burned like hell as he dropped Alan and clutched his hand.

“Michael!” Lucy and Sam yelled in unison, and David startled, unable to see what happened from his vantage point but he had to do something, had to try and help Michael since this whole fucking thing was his fault anyway. He knew the sunlight was filtering in from outside, reaching the top of the stairs but it wasn’t direct sunlight, and maybe the glass on the windows would make it hurt less, or maybe it would burn but he had to help Michael. He had to try, couldn’t just stand there and do nothing.

Pushing the door open, David grit his teeth, taking an uncertain step out into the hallway. Sam caught him out of the corner of his eye, yelled his name to try and stop him while Lucy tended to Michael and the Frogs made a break for the staircase. He felt the warmth from the sun and it actually wasn’t too bad, vaguely thinking that this was how it used to feel on his skin when he was human, and how he’d liked going to the beach to watch the sunset after a long day, admiring the colors the sky would shift through before the sun disappeared. The pleasant memory was broken by the skin on his bare arms beginning to sizzle, the rest of him protected by clothing but even under them, he could start to feel his skin heating up. He’d put his arm over his face to try and block it during the experiment, just in case, but still felt the effects on his neck and down and around his shoulders. Sam was at Michael’s door in an instant, pushing him back inside the dark room and closing the door shut behind him, David able to hear him and the Frogs arguing right outside it as the smell of his own burnt flesh started to become less potent and he leaned against the door, rattling the doorknob. He felt his vampiric blood boiling under his skin, ready to tear their throats out as soon as he could.

Michael was trying to make his way back upstairs, his mother right behind him seeing if he was okay, but his sole mission at the moment was making sure David would be alright. The telltale sound of a gun being cocked stopped his ascent, drawing his attention along with everyone else’s to his grandfather behind them, holding a shotgun in both hands across his chest. Mirrored expressions of shock were written across their faces as they quieted down. “Everybody get downstairs now,” he ordered and they all complied save for David, who pushed the door open enough so he could hear, disappointed that he couldn’t fly downstairs right now and beat the shit out of the siblings. Edgar and Alan regarded Grandpa warily while the other three Emersons watched them, Lucy moving protectively in front of her sons as her father stepped in front of her. “Listen here. Family is _off limits_ and one of mine already got hurt, so you two get the hell out of my house,” he told the Frogs, lowering the shotgun. They stole one last forlorn glance at Sam, who looked away quickly, before leaving without another word. Grandpa locked the door before walking off to go put his gun away.

Lucy was trembling, still shaken from the events that had just occurred and Sam touched her shoulder worryingly. “Mom? You okay?” he asked and she shook herself out of her worry-induced trance at the sound of his voice.

“I’m fine, honey, are you both okay?” she asked, kneeling down to check Sam over for any unseen injuries. He nodded, not having gotten too scuffed up in the fight, thankfully, but Michael remained unresponsive, still holding his hand gingerly. “Can I see?” Lucy asked carefully. Michael looked uncertain for a moment but relented eventually, holding his hand out for her to check over. 

“It’ll heal by tomorrow,” he said in a monotone. “I’m more bothered by those two almost getting upstairs to David.”

“Shit, David!” Sam said suddenly, like it had just clicked in his head. Michael glanced over at him, confused. “He was gonna try and come down and help you, and he actually stepped outside of your room -“

“He did _what_?” Michael cut him off, grabbing his hand back from Lucy’s soft grip as he flew upstairs, the sight of her son actually flying being a bit off-putting to Lucy as she stared after him. She looked back at Sam.

“Sorry, mom. I should have told you they knew the truth,” Sam apologized. Lucy just shook her head, sighing.

“I’m getting used to you boys not telling me important stuff,” she answered rather sadly. “I just wish you’d trust me.” Sam felt the guilt eat away at him and he took her hand.

“I will, from now on, promise,” he asserted. She pulled him into a hug, hoping his words would ring true. 

Upstairs, Michael had rushed into his room, evidently not seeing David standing directly behind the door to avoid any more contact with the sunlight. “David?” he called out frantically, jumping slightly when he heard the door shut behind him. David was there, the skin on both arms angry and irritated and the flesh still split in some places. His arms had taken the brunt of the burn, but his face was clearly reddened too. “Are you okay? What the fuck were you thinking?” Michael asked him, going to pull him in but reconsidering at the last moment, his arms retreating.

David winced as he moved, but otherwise seemed relatively alright. “You left. You left where I couldn’t follow you and then you got hurt, and I had to try and help, even if it’d burn like hell,” he answered firmly. “Thought it’d be fine, not being direct sunlight, but I was wrong.”

“Don’t ever do anything that reckless again,” Michael told him, and fuck, he really wanted to be able to touch David right now, hold him close or even just lay a comforting hand on him but he looked worse for wear. “Please.”

“No promises,” David countered, seeing Michael’s determined glare and sighing as he gave in. “Fine, I’m sorry, alright? I couldn’t protect you and I felt useless and I’d rather die trying to save you than live without you.”

Michael swallowed hard. “Really?” he asked incredulously, smiling to himself at David’s nod. “That’s the most romantic thing anyone’s ever told me.”

“I’m glad I had to get burnt to hell in order to be able to say it,” David answered sarcastically. “It should mostly heal by morning, but fuck, it did hurt pretty bad. Maybe shouldn’t have done that.”

Michael shrugged. “You’re the vampire expert here, but I agree. Let me handle the light.”

————————————-

The bike ride shared between the two Frogs was silent as they headed back to the diner Star worked at, Edgar’s usual look of irritation permanently fixed on his face as he pedaled alongside his brother, considering the events that had just occurred. They parked their bikes right outside before storming in, walking right over to Star who was busy taking a table’s order, either unaware or uncaring that she was busy. 

“Any other friends of yours still vampires too?” Edgar asked her right in front of a stunned family who stared at the two boys, confusion and shock etched on their faces. Star stared at them for a moment before apologizing and excusing herself, taking hold of Edgar’s arm none too gently and leading him over to a more isolated spot near the counter, Alan following behind them.

She let him go, annoyance clearly shining through as she addressed them. “Can’t you see I’m working?” 

“You knew your boyfriend was still a vampire and you didn’t tell anyone?” Edgar pressed, narrowing his eyes. “You okay with knowing he and the other one have _killed_ innocent people around here?”

“We’re not together and Michael wouldn’t kill anyone,” Star defended, though she wasn’t quite sure why she was even bothering. “He’s - he’s still only half, isn’t he?” she added on quickly.

“Yeah, he didn’t burst into flames when we went over there to stake them just a bit ago, and holy water didn’t burn the shit out of him like it did Twisted Sister,” Alan supplied. 

Edgar held his hand up. “Wait, you’re not together? He had us save you for no reason?” he asked, actually sounding disappointed. 

Star fought the urge to roll her eyes at their abrasive nature. “Save me? You two were planning on staking me and an innocent little boy. I wouldn’t call that saving.” Her expression shifted into one of worry. “Hold on, did you say you tried to stake him? And he’s not even fully turned?”

“We tried to go after the full one, but him and Sam got in our way,” Alan informed her. “No clue why they’re protecting him.”

“The only explanation is he’s using vampire mind control to manipulate them both, maybe even Sam’s whole family,” Edgar concluded. “Why else wouldn’t they let us stake the shit out of a goddamn bloodsucker?”

Star bit her lip, unsure if these two teenage boys plagued by their machismo would even understand if she told them. “It doesn’t work like that. Vampires can compel, but they can’t control someone’s mind.” The two glared at her, skepticism clear in their expressions. “I was half, don’t you think I would know?”

“Then why would Sam try and stop us when he was on our side before?” Edgar was practically yelling, and Star could actually detect what sounded like betrayal in the crack in his voice. The three participants in the conversation quieted, turning their heads to watch as the attention of the other patrons in the restaurant was focused entirely on them. Star moved in front of them so she could address them directly without the distraction of everyone else looking at them. 

“I don’t know the full story, but Michael cares about David, which is why he probably helped him heal. And Sam obviously loves Michael, so if Michael wants to keep David alive, Sam might want that too,” she mused, expecting the twin looks of confusion on the boys’ faces. “Whatever you guys do, don’t kill Michael, okay? I know he’s still good, deep down.” She turned away from them, going back to her table but her attention was entirely elsewhere now as she tried to push the nagging thoughts away.

Alan tried to calm his pacing, furious brother down, realizing he probably had been expecting a different outcome from their conversation with Star. “David did _something_ to Sam and Michael, even if it’s not mind control. Maybe he’s blackmailing them, or threatening them, or something else but Sam isn’t a vampire advocate now. He just can’t be.” Edgar seemed like he was telling this more to himself, hoping he would believe it if he said it out loud. “If we could get him out of there, and Michael separated too, we could stake David and everything will go back to normal.”

Nodding in agreement, Alan sighed. “How are we gonna do that?” he asked, the two jumping when a sonorous voice sounded from behind them.

“I can help you boys out,” said the man the voice belonged to, and Edgar and Alan recognized him as the singer and saxophone player that performed on the boardwalk a couple of nights a week. He turned around from his seat at the counter, looking quite different from his stage persona, but it might have just been because he was actually wearing a shirt. “Sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear your very loud conversation there, but I think I might be able to help you with your goal.”

“ _You_? Do you even know what we’re talking about?” Edgar asked him, raising a brow in suspicion. 

The musician stared at them, the eerie smile never leaving his face. “I think the whole place knows by now,” he pointed out. “But I’m the only one in here that can exterminate your vampire infestation, so long as you’re willing to devote yourselves to the mission and nothing else.”

Alan glanced at his sibling uncertainly, not exactly liking the vibe of the guy, but Edgar seemed intently interested in what he was saying. “We are,” he answered for the two of them. “We’re professionals, man.”

He was met with a droll stare. “I’m sure you boys are.”

“What should we call you? Sax Man?” Edgar asked, referencing what everyone around Santa Carla usually called the man anyway.

A light chuckle passed from the musician’s lips. “No, you can call me...the Believer.”

—————————————-

That evening, the Emerson family had dinner, though no one was picking at the food much. Grandpa had joined them in a rare occasion, evidently waiting for the inevitable conversation about the afternoon’s events to transpire. Michael’s hand was bandaged while David sat next to him, shirtless, his skin starting to pale out again from the burns from before but still a bright red color in some areas that got it worse. Sam was still feeling guilty as all get out, like he’d invited the Frogs into the house rather than tried to stop them and Lucy was worried collectively about the three boys overall. The table was silent, none of them really knowing what to say about the matter at hand until Grandpa broke the silence with a heavy sigh, his abruptness surprising everyone.

“Well, Luce, I spent my whole life protecting you from vampires while you were growing up here and now I gotta protect you from vampire _hunters_ instead,” he commented, shaking his head as he chuckled. “Ain’t that a bitch.”

Lucy smiled apologetically at her father. “Sorry, Dad. We all appreciate you stepping in like that.” She looked pointedly between the three other boys at the table, who mumbled their thanks as well.

“I think I should go pay them a visit back,” David mused with a shrug, wincing as it agitated his burns slightly. “It’s only fair.”

Michael pushed the plate of food away as he rested his elbows on the table, cradling his hand carefully to his chest. “No, David. We’re not gonna go seek out a couple of stupid kids and kill them.”

David turned his head, glaring at Michael. “I didn’t say _we_.”

“David, stop. Like it or not, you’re part of this family now too and if you go rushing over there, you could put all of us at risk,” Lucy told him gently, and fuck if she didn’t use her motherly wiles to placate him. David groaned in annoyance but didn’t press the matter further. “I think we should go to the authorities.”

“And tell them what, mom? That we got attacked by a couple of vampire hunters because we’re accomplices to a vampire?” Sam asked, shrinking in his chair slightly when Lucy looked over at him with that signature mother look of warning. “But David can’t go after them either. If he kills them, the cops will be knocking on _our_ door.”

“I can make it look like an accident,” David grumbled. 

Sam turned his gaze onto him. “If you go over there, there’s gonna be a trap waiting for you. Remember what happened last time you and your gang flew in here, hellbent on revenge?” 

David glared at the younger Emerson sibling but knew that he had a point, that if he went over there and got himself killed, he’d never hear the end of it from Michael, even in his death, remembering he’d also promised Michael he wouldn’t do anything so reckless again. “Then what the fuck are we supposed to do? Wait for them to come back?”

“I’ll try to talk to them,” Sam offered, not having much of an idea otherwise. “I’ll try and tell them you don’t kill for fun anymore and that it’s only for survival now.”

“Yeah, I’m sure that’ll go over real well,” David answered sarcastically. Michael kicked at his shin under the table, ignoring the hiss of pain as he did so and David’s swat in retaliation. “Pretty cowardly of them to attack during the day, too. Tell them next time they wanna try something to make it a fair fight, at least.”

Sam bit the inside of his cheek. “I’m hoping there won’t _be_ another fight.”

———————————————-

Alan shivered as they entered the abandoned underground hotel lobby for the second time after hoping to never have to set foot in it again in his life. His brother had suggested it after the mysterious musician who was also apparently a professional vampire hunter had asked for the best place to stake a vampire, telling him all about their first kill just a few feet away. The sun was disappearing over the horizon and it was getting chillier, the atmosphere turning dark and spooky, like they weren’t supposed to be down there. He looked over at Edgar, concern knotted in his furrowed brows. “Can we go over the plan one more time?” he asked cautiously.

Edgar rolled his eyes, but the Believer was patient, the only thing Alan liking about him being his soothing voice. “As many times as we need to to make sure it goes smoothly,” he answered, but turned towards the other Frog. “Edgar?”

“Tomorrow, we’re picking Sam up from school and bringing him out here. He’s not gonna be happy, but it’s for his own good, so we’ll probably have to restrain him.” He held up a pack of zip ties for visual reference. “Then you and the Believer here are gonna drop this note off to the Emerson house.” He held up a folded piece of paper next. “Michael’s gonna come looking for Sam and David’ll follow Michael. When they come down here, you and me are gonna be hiding by the entrance and we’ll zap their sorry vampire asses and they won’t even see it coming.” The final items Edgar held up were two tasers, passing one off to Alan. “Then we get to finish staking David for good and whatever weird control he has over Sam and Michael will be broken.”

“I’ll handle the staking. You boys will be responsible for the younger one,” the Believer told them, earning a groan of disappointment from Edgar.

“Why do _you_ get to do it?” he demanded, shrinking a bit under the larger man’s gaze.

“I’ve watched those boys for years during my shows, knowing what they were. I saw how they’d hunt innocent people, but I could never try and take care of them since the odds of surviving four vampires during an attack are next to none. Now that there’s only one of them, it’s time to eradicate the last of their little group and I don’t want to put you boys in harm’s way.” The intensity coming from the man as he spoke was jarring, even to Edgar. 

“Fine, as long as you actually kill him this time,” Edgar conceded.

Alan spoke up. “Sam’s not gonna get hurt, is he?”

“‘Course not, Al,” Edgar said, slightly irritated, though Alan didn’t take it personally as he knew how his brother usually was.

“And what about Michael? He’s still only half,” came Alan’s next worry.

“He’s already tasted human blood, so he perishes too,” the Believer confirmed stoically.

“But he’s Sam’s brother. And he hasn’t actually killed anyone,” Alan told him.

“If he impedes the mission, he gets staked. It’s as simple as that. Now, are you both in?”

“Yeah, we’re in,” Edgar answered after a beat as Alan looked away, unsure.

————————————-

The remainder of the evening was spent double checking all of the doors and windows of the house, making sure they were locked and nothing could come inside that wasn’t invited first, save for David. He was upset that the Frogs were going to get off scot-free for coming and trying to kill him, but as Michael confirmed that the last of the burns were gone and his skin was healed again, he realized that if anyone was going to get through their thick skulls, it was Sam. And if he couldn’t, David would be happy to have the two over for dinner. Safety precautions were gone over by Lucy while Grandpa stood and nodded in agreement behind her, going over specific scenarios and how to handle them. David and Michael went out to feed later after everyone had gone to sleep but didn’t mill about outside for too long, the two of them still on edge after the day’s events and mostly wanting a quiet night in as they discussed how to handle the current threat, spending most of the night coming up with the least non-violent way to deal with the brothers, much to David’s annoyance.

They passed out when morning came and Sam left for school, hesitant to do so but Lucy and Grandpa promised they would keep an eye out for the Frogs as Michael and David slept. He told them he was going over to the Frogs afterwards to try and talk to them, hopefully to change their minds. Lucy had to work later that day and considered calling off but her father waved her off, telling her he was more than capable of dealing with two snot-nosed kids if they came back around. He kept the gun case containing the shotgun unlocked when Lucy left in the early afternoon, just in case, heading back into his workshop but keeping an ear out for any unexpected visitors.

Star was off for the day but had decided to use most of it catching up on her class work, getting some studying in before making a list of groceries for her and Mrs. Johnson. She considered taking Michael’s bike, eyeing it as she decided that she really should bring it back to him one of these days, but as she stepped outside and saw the heavy clouds that promised rain later, she took Mrs. Johnson’s car keys instead. The usual route involved the high school getting out traffic but she didn’t mind, the radio playing her favorite pop hit as she drummed on the steering wheel lightly with her fingers. Star saw the kids waiting by the bus stop and recognized Sam, had seen him before sometimes on her way into town and today was no different. As she waited for the light to change, however, she saw a van pull up a little ways away from the bus stop and the side door opened, revealing the two Frog brothers inside as they reached for Sam, dragging him inside by his arm and his backpack, the door sliding shut as it started to drive away. She hadn’t gotten a good look at Sam’s face, but she found it slightly suspicious that he was standing by the bus stop but was getting a ride instead from his friends. Shaking her head lightly, she accelerated forward as the light changed, telling herself that they _were_ friends and so not to worry about it. 

A few hours later, as the sun was going down, Star finished her shopping and had just closed the trunk of the car when she found herself once again thinking of what she’d seen that afternoon. It wouldn’t hurt anything to stop by his house and make sure he was alright, would it? And if she ran into Michael, well, it was probably time to try and talk to him again and apologize for taking his bike. She took the route back to the Emerson abode, the quiet road a nice stretch to clear her head as she considered what she would say if Michael happened to answer the door, or Lucy. As she drove down the street not too far away, however, she passed the same van she had seen picking up Sam, but this time could see who was driving it, recognizing the saxophone player from the boardwalk along with the quieter Frog brother in the passenger seat. They were clearly coming back from the Emersons, but she had a bad feeling about it, deciding not quite rationally that she should follow it, hoping it would lead her to Sam and that he would be okay.

When Michael and David woke and they noticed Sam still hadn’t come home, despite saying he was going over to talk to the Frogs, Michael immediately started to panic. David had suggested letting his grandfather know that they were going over to the Frogs’, but Michael was already stepping into his sneakers and pulling his jacket on, David rushing to get dressed as well and following him downstairs. Grabbing David’s keys to the bike, he wrenched the front door open, taking a step back and looking down when he heard a crinkle of paper underneath his shoe. Bending down, he tossed the rock holding the paper down and unfolded it, confusion evident on his face. David was behind him, standing on his tiptoes to read over his shoulder, glancing at Michael nervously as he skimmed through the note first.

_Dear shitsucker,_

_You may think you can worm your way into the Emerson house, but we all know where you really belong. We’re keeping Sam safe and away from you but if you want him back in that house, sacrifice yourself and come on home. We’re waiting._

_E &A_

“Fuck. They took him to the hotel. I’m gonna kill them,” David hissed lowly as Michael crumpled up the note, sticking it in his pocket with a subdued, angry exhale.

“No, David,” Michael told him, voice barely above a low murmur as he shut the door behind them. When David stared at him with an unspoken protest, Michael strode past him, heading for the bike. “We’re gonna kill them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y’all ready for this? ✌🏼


	14. so you can leave like the sane, abandon me

“Hey, Lucy? Sam’s still not back from those Frog boys’ house, and Michael and David just took off here like bats outta hell. Nope, no clue where they were goin’, I’m assumin’ it was to the Frogs’, but listen, Luce. I think you should come on home early tonight. I got a bad feeling about this. Maybe stop on by the comic shop and see if you can ask those kids’ parents where they are? Sure. See you soon.” The eldest Emerson hung up his phone call with his daughter, not wanting to scare her too much but as soon as he saw the two vampires leave in a hurry, he figured he should let Lucy know what was going on. He wasn’t sure where the two boys lived and imagined Lucy didn’t either, but maybe she’d be able to get some information before she came home. 

She came bursting through the front door not much later, finding her father standing in the kitchen, looking worried. “Their parents didn’t know anything, but said they hadn’t shown up for their shift tonight. Those two should really think about how they’re raising their sons,” Lucy fumed, exhaling a deep sigh. “Did Michael or David say anything about where they went?” she asked, sounding hopeful for just a moment.

Grandpa shook his head and Lucy’s heart sank. “No, but let’s give it a little longer before we start jumpin’ to conclusions, huh?” he told her, touching her arm gently when he saw that she was starting to tear up. “You know if something happened to Sam that Michael would take care of it, and I’m willin’ to bet David would be more than happy to help.” He sat her down at the table, taking her purse from her as she took a moment to unwind and try to calm herself down.

“If we don’t hear anything in exactly two hours, I’m calling the police,” Lucy stated as her father nodded in agreement.

———————————————-

Star waited, her car parked a little ways away from the mouth of the hotel entrance. She’d followed the suspicious van but knew exactly where it was heading, having recognized the route after travelling it multiple times on the back of David’s bike. The fact that it was heading out here was the thing confusing her the most as she’d waited for the van to empty out before driving slowly and as quietly as possible up to the hotel, headlights off as she wasn’t exactly looking to be seen. Her gut instinct was kicking in, telling her something felt off, but didn’t want to jump the gun just yet, giving it ten minutes of watching the entrance before she would turn back around and go to the Emerson house. Her eyes watched the clock radio in the car nervously, flitting back up occasionally for any movement. Five minutes had passed before she heard the telltale sound of a motorcycle revving, her nerves on edge as she watched Michael peel down the dirt road leading to the hotel, David holding onto him from behind. She didn’t even get to enjoy the ironic sight of it, deciding whether she should make an appearance now and see if they needed her help or just wait it out, unsure of what she would even be walking into. As soon as she saw them head down the stairs, she got out, weighing what to do next.

“Michael, slow down,” David was trying to tell him, a few steps behind Michael since he’d leapt from the bike as soon as they’d come to a stop. Michael evidently didn’t hear him or was choosing to ignore him, his long legs carrying him across the walkway to the stairs on pure adrenaline and rage. “We don’t know what we’re heading into, it could be a trap,” he could hear from over his shoulder a good distance away but still, he took the stairs two and three at a time until he was sliding down the dirt entrance, using his outstretched arms to balance himself as he did so. 

“Sam?” he called out, the underground cave dimly lit save for a couple of the oil drums roaring with flames. The once-homey lobby now felt ominous, the moonlight that had bathed it in an ethereal glow before absent now as he tried to squint through the surrounding darkness, taking a few steps further inside. 

David finally followed him in, sliding down the walkway and staying put near the entrance. He hadn’t been back here in months, not even wanting to be reminded of its existence and this was exactly the reason why. It was empty and it shouldn’t have been; there should be shouts and whoops of laughter from his friends and loud music playing on the boombox and he should be at the center of it all. A haunting moment of deja vu washed over him, but David shook himself out of it, focusing his attention back on the situation at hand. “Careful, Michael,” he told him and no sooner than he did was he suddenly getting zapped with electricity, confusion being the main thing he was feeling but pain was a close second. He lost sight of Michael, unaware if he’d been dealt the same fate, struggling to stay upright as he tried to get his bearings back when something hit the side of his face, and it _burned_. 

“Michael!” came Sam’s desperate shout somewhere farther in, but when he heard David’s groan in pain from behind him, he turned his head, barely having enough time to register what he was seeing before he felt a sharp sting in his side and then, before he knew it, he was on the ground, trying to figure out what the fuck just happened and why he couldn’t move.

David couldn’t even bring a hand up to touch his singed cheek before he was suddenly choking, what felt like hot coals clenching his throat and though he didn’t exactly need to breathe, he panicked anyway, coughing as it dawned on him what was being used to subdue him. He couldn’t see his attacker but there was no way it was one of the Frog brothers, not when his hands were being yanked above his head and a second rosary tightly fastened around his wrists, not burning as bad as holy water but still not very pleasant. Feeling himself be wrenched to the side, the rosary around his neck was removed and fastened around the middle of the one holding his wrists together, the whole thing being tied around the railing nearby the entrance. Still a little dazed, David blinked, trying to break the simple beads but knowing fully well that he wouldn’t be able to, the only thing next to a silver chain that could keep him contained. His assailant finally came into view, David able to recognize that chiseled physique anywhere and the thought that the fucking saxophone guy had been able to restrain him was embarrassing eight ways to Sunday. “What-?”

The Believer kicked at his knees, forcing David to fall on his ass, his legs giving out underneath him. “I’ll deal with you in a minute,” he was told, the Believer kneeling and patting his cheek condescendingly, David wincing and turning away from it when it also burned. He went to go reach for Michael next, David yelling at him indistinctly in warning as he did so. He saw the Frogs scamper away out of the corner of his eye, turning the tasers off as they flocked around Sam, his hands bound behind him as he watched Michael with growing concern on his face. He was trying to call out for Michael too, both of their cries falling on deaf ears as Michael tried to stand again, dizzy from the jolt of electricity he’d been subjected to. One good punch landed under his chin from the Believer and he was stumbling back, eyes finally able to focus as he looked between his attacker and David a short distance away. He spotted Sam over the Believer’s shoulder with the Frog brothers and went to start for him, but was yanked forward by his shirt as the Believer hit him again, tossing him to the ground as Michael caught himself on shaky arms. “If you value your life, you’ll stay down,” the Believer told him. “And maybe I’ll spare you after I take care of your sire, but only if you stay out of the way.”

“ _This_ is your guys’ plan? Taking out David right in front of Michael? You’re gonna get both of them killed!” Sam yelled in anger, whipping his head around to address both Frogs.

“Michael will be fine as long as he lets the Believer do what he needs to do,” Edgar gruffed at him. “If he doesn’t, it’s on him whatever happens to him.”

Sam growled in frustration, his voice pitching as he screeched. “You idiot, of course he’s gonna save David! Your plan’s gonna backfire and I might lose my brother!” Edgar and Alan shared a look of uncertainty but said nothing in response, Sam nearly trembling in contained rage while he watched the battle between Michael and the hunter.

Michael looked up at the shirtless, shimmering man from the floor, equal parts angry and confused at what the hell was going on. He knew him as the guy who played saxophone some nights on the boardwalk but he apparently moonlighted as a fucking skilled vampire hunter too, because of course he was. Leave it up to the Frog brothers to find this guy. “You’d better plan on staking me too then ‘cause you’re not gonna get the chance with him,” Michael told the Believer firmly, already pulling himself up to stand upright on his feet again. He’d been able to land two hits on Michael, but Michael decided it was time to return the favor. He pulled his arm back, aiming for the man’s chest and he was able to carry through but his knuckles burned as he made contact and slipped right off, avoiding nearly toppling over while he looked down at his fingers.

A pleased smile spread across the Believer’s face as he regarded Michael, touching the front of his own chest. “How do you like that holy oil? My whole body is covered in it, so if you touch any part of me, it’ll burn.” Realization dawned on David as he remembered why it had burnt when he’d been hit before and when the Believer patted his cheek, admiring the precaution but finding it extremely annoying as well. It shouldn’t have been as bad for Michael since he was still half, but it wouldn’t make fighting the guy easy.

The explanation only served to irritate Michael rather than deter him, going back in for another punch on the tail end of the explanation, hoping to catch him off guard. The Believer caught his hand, using his own other hand to smack Michael across the face, the power behind the hit sending Michael backward and hitting one of the pillars with a grunt. David pulled at the beads futilely, knowing it was useless but he couldn’t sit there and watch Michael get the shit beat out of him, not when he was sure he was this guy’s main target. “Hey, tiny, wanna know what I believe?” he called out at the man advancing on Michael, just needing to divert his attention for a minute so Michael could have a chance to situate himself. The Believer looked over at him with pure hate in his eyes. “I believe you’re gonna walk out of here about five liters lighter when I get done with you.”

The Believer stalked over to him, attention temporarily off of Michael while he rounded on David, raising a brow. “You think so? I think you’ll be little more than dust in the wind when _I_ get done with _you_ , just like the rest of your friends.” His arm shot forward, hand gripping around David’s throat tightly, smiling when he saw smoke start to rise from in between his fingers and David cough weakly. “Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for the perfect moment to take you down?” the Believer hissed, leaning down as he shook the smaller body. “ _Years_.”

David’s glance darted to the side over his shoulder and suddenly, the Believer was being wrenched backwards, Michael grabbing his shoulder and turning him around to sock him in the nose as hard as he could, waving his hand after he did so. The Believer stumbled back, bringing a hand up to feel the blood starting to run down his nostril. He looked back up at Michael, a scowl on his face, launching himself forward with a yell as he attacked, landing blow after blow.

“Michael!” Sam wailed, tears in his eyes as he watched his brother collapse, hearing the sickening sounds of hits raining down on Michael. Even Edgar and Alan had looked away, uncomfortable with the scene playing out in front of them and unsure of how to deal with it. “Guys, let me go! Please,” Sam was pleading, pulling at his arms behind his back desperately to the point that it started to hurt. “Please, he’s gonna kill him.”

The Frogs looked uncertainly at each other, Alan already diving into his pocket for his knife, but Edgar stopped him. “Sam, your brother might already be too far gone,” Edgar warned him solemnly, but his voice still shook with trepidation, like he didn’t believe his own words.

“That’s bullshit! Michael’s a good guy and so’s David!” Sam retaliated, still pulling at his restraints. “I have to try and help him! Imagine if it were you guys, you’d just watch the other one die!?” His plea to their familial bond seemed to work, Edgar waiting a moment before nodding once, allowing Alan to pass his knife under the zip tie and cut it. Sam immediately sprung forward, rushing over to Michael’s collapsed form and spreading his arms out in front of him, indistinctly hearing David shout at him to stay back. “Stop! I’m not gonna let you hurt him anymore!” he yelped, Michael raising his head as far he could off of the ground to try and push Sam away and out of danger, on high alert already.

“Sam, no, get out of here,” Michael tried feebly, managing to lift one of his hands and push at Sam’s shoulder, not even budging his little sibling.

The Believer had reached for one of the chains hanging from his waist housing a smaller, sharpened stake, freeing it and wielding it above his head when Michael had fallen. If he needed to get through this challenge to get to his trophy, he would. Just as he was about to swing the stake down, the boy’s brother jumped in front of him, delaying his goal that much more. The Believer hesitated, his arm still raised in attack. “Move, Sam. Your brother has already sealed his own fate.”

“Like hell he has!” Sam snarled at him, spitting at the Believer’s face. He growled in annoyance, reaching forward and grabbing Sam by his shoulder, holding him in place as he sliced across his chest with the stake. Sam let out a shriek that echoed around the whole cave, the Believer tossing him easily to the side a few feet away like he weighed nothing.

“Sam!” the Frogs yelled in unison, racing over to where he had landed, face-down and still. Michael couldn’t see where he was, but knew that a shout had sounded from his own throat as well as he watched, wide-eyed and mouth hanging open. The Believer advanced on him once more, but his attention was focused on Sam, barely hearing the whispered worries of Edgar and Alan trying to find a pulse on his baby brother. With a roar of fury, Michael finally let his vampiric features show after trying his hardest to subdue them, not wanting to change in front of Sam, but it might have been too late and it might have been all his fucking fault. He was on his feet in a second despite his aching body, feeling his fangs descend like it was second nature, glaring at the Believer through amber eyes. He couldn’t tell if the man was scared or giddy at his change, his sole thoughts being to avenge Sam. Michael flexed his fingers, feeling the skin on them already trying to heal from his burns from before, but there was no way they could now, not when he had attacked the Believer and tackled him to the ground, landing hit after hit upon him. His knuckles ached and throbbed in pain, nearly white and down to the bone from the assault but he just didn’t care, his teeth bared and feral as he neared the Believer’s throat.

David watched in horror as Michael descended on the man, having tried to stop him and warn him a dozen times already but with what Michael had witnessed, he wouldn’t blame him if he did end up sucking the Believer dry. He’d made a promise to Michael though, that he wouldn’t let him turn fully, but he couldn’t stop him no matter how hard he tried to pull on the rosary to break it. Still, he yanked down as hard as he could, exhaling in frustration when they still didn’t give. Movement out of the corner of his eye near the entrance startled him, not believing his own eyes when he saw Star sneaking down into the hotel. “Star!” he called out to her in shock, grateful when she noticed him and hurried over. “Where the hell did you come from?” he asked quickly.

Star knelt down as she regarded him warily, still iffy about her feelings towards him given their past. “I was waiting outside. I saw you both go down, but I didn’t know if I should follow you or go for help, so I waited a little longer and then when I heard Sam scream, I knew I had to come down.” She looked over to see further into the lobby, saw the Frogs tending to Sam and saw Michael, vamped out and tearing into someone. “Oh god, Michael…” she whispered, covering her mouth with her hand, unable to look away.

“Star, untie me,” David demanded urgently, dragging her out of her trance. “I have to stop him or he’s gonna kill that guy.” She stared at him for a moment before looking back over at Michael, trying to decide what she should do, if she should trust David or not or if this was another trick. “ _Star!_ Please,” he begged, and she saw his blistered cheek and his reddened, raw wrists and the burn marks in the shape of fingers around his neck. Star stood and reached for the beads where he was tied around the railing, ripping apart the strand first that was connecting him to it and then the one fastened around his hands. David didn’t waste a second, flying over to Michael as he ripped him off of the Believer, his stomach sinking when he saw Michael’s fangs rip out of his neck and no blood came spurting out. Michael landed on his ass a few feet back, the corpse of the Believer falling limp to the ground, his soulless eyes staring off into the darkness. Michael was standing back up immediately, eyes still murderous as he stared at the back of David’s head, panting heavily, wiping at his mouth. 

David stared at the ground, gaze fixed on the corpse, unbelieving of what this meant now. He swallowed hard, hearing Michael hyperventilate behind him, clenching his fists together as he tried to make his expression one of indifference and not of the dread he was currently feeling. He finally turned back around, looking Michael up and down, remembering that he had wanted this what felt like a few short months ago but now that it happened, he wished it hadn’t. “Michael?” he asked uncertainly, voice just a little louder than a whisper. “He’s dead.”

Michael slowed his breathing, waiting in anticipation for David’s next words, his mind still full of nothing but wanting revenge on the man who had hurt Sam. “Good riddance.”

“Michael, he was _human_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry I’m so sorryyy 😈


	15. so bright the sun is ashamed to rise and be

As the realization of what he’d done dawned on Michael, his face fell, vampiric features morphing back into his fragile human visage again. His fangs retracted and he could taste the blood in his mouth, feeling how full his stomach was, trying his best to ignore the heartbeats in his ears that now sounded like they were in stereo rather than a dull thumping before. He could hear David’s voice in his head, murmuring a single word in apology, not sure of what else to say. He jumped, feeling Star’s hand softly touch his shoulder from behind, not even registering that she had joined them. Turning around and meeting her gaze, her face confirmed the worst, her eyes wide with unshed tears but he could tell she was close to letting them fall. Michael felt the same way, but tears actually started to fall when he heard the smallest voice speak up.

“Michael?” Sam called out to him meekly from behind, and he sounded weak and like he was in a shit ton of pain but he was _alive_. Michael turned, relief washing over him in waves as he saw his little brother propped up between the Frogs, a makeshift sling fastened out of one of the boy’s jackets around his arm and a ripped sleeve hastily tied around his chest to try and stop the bleeding. He looked rough, scratched up around his knees and elbows and covered in dirt from being thrown to the ground, but so was Michael, even though his larger scrapes were already healed. Michael tried not to think about that as he stumbled towards Sam, dropping down to his knees in front of him and hugging him gently around his waist, his tears cutting through the grime on his face and leaving twin streaks. Sam used his free hand to hug Michael back the best that he could, still letting out a grunt in pain involuntarily. “Are you okay?” he asked and Michael had to laugh, a short, incredulous sound that cut through the silence of the cave.

“I’m fine, Sammy,” Michael answered as he pulled back, trying his best to put on a strong, confident facade even though he felt like crumbling inside. He couldn’t, though, not when Sam was barely able to keep himself upright. “I’m so sorry I got you hurt. Are you okay?”

Sam nodded, the smile on his face despite the obvious pain he was in both serving to warm Michael’s heart and also stab a guilty knife through his chest. “Yeah, I think so. Think it looks a lot worse than it is,” he mused as the strap of fabric around his chest continued to darken with blood. He cleared his throat as he tried to raise his right arm. “My arm really hurts though. Guess I landed on it pretty hard.” The Frogs gathered him up again as soon as Michael let go of his middle, deathly quiet for kids who usually could not shut up. Michael caught Edgar’s eye, who quickly glanced away uneasily.

David stepped forward, rubbing at the inside of his wrist as he spoke. “We should get you checked out, Sam. But first, we should get back home.” He met Alan’s eye as well, glaring pointedly at him and Edgar as he’d said it. “Bet your mom’s losing her goddamn mind right now.”

Both Michael and Sam looked at each other worriedly, knowing there would be hell to pay once they got back home and Lucy saw what happened to Sam. And what happened to Michael, for that matter. Even David was somewhat anxious, since he’d been welcome in the Emerson abode but that was when Michael was still half human. Would they be as generous now, once they found out everything had changed? Even if they did, he still owed it to them to at least get Sam back, safe and sound and if they kicked him out afterward, so be it.

“How are we gonna get Sam out of here?” Edgar finally spoke up, none of his usual roughness present, evidently feeling the tension in the atmosphere. “Can’t put him on the back of a bike.”

Star had stayed quiet until then, but she piped up as she remembered Mrs. Johnson’s ride. “I have a car. I can take him home,” she told them and they agreed, her and the Frogs already starting for the way out of the hotel, carefully helping Sam stagger outside as he purposefully looked away from the corpse of the Believer still on the ground not too far away. David and Michael remained, David holding his arm out to help Michael keep his balance despite his only lingering injuries being the burns from the holy oil. 

“Michael, you understand what this means, don’t you? You can’t -“ David tried before he was cut off.

“Stop,” Michael sighed heavily, holding his hand up. “I really, _really_ don’t wanna think about it right now. I just wanna get Sam home.” It was taking all of his strength not to break down right there, and he could have, just fallen into David’s chest and cried over his lost humanity. David nodded in understanding, taking one final glance at Michael’s first kill, the sight of it bittersweet. He helped Michael outside and they made their way over to the car, Star holding the back seat door open and gesturing for Michael to get in so he could be with Sam. David waited, looking at Star expectantly but said nothing. She rolled her eyes but gestured at the passenger seat, David unable to help himself from the smirk that crossed his face as he opened the car door, sliding into the seat opposite Star. He was about to close the door when Edgar stopped him, his outstretched arm holding it as he addressed the whole car, Alan behind him shivering from the cold and the lack of his jacket.

“What are we supposed to do?” he asked, and Sam looked away, Michael busy with making sure he was holding Sam securely since he couldn’t exactly wear a seatbelt. Star started the car, the engine revving as she buckled herself in, leaving David to answer the Frogs, his smirk growing into a grin as he did so.

“You got yourselves into this, so it’s your mess to clean up. Have fun!” David told them, yanking the car door closed, Edgar leaning out of the way a split second before he did so. Star turned the car around, feeling slightly bad for the two brothers but as she caught sight of Sam laying in the backseat, it wasn’t enough to try and help them out.

Sam made a noise of disapproval as they started on the bumpy journey away from the hotel. “You didn’t have to be such a jerk to them,” he murmured, feeling somewhat bad for his friends. If they were still even friends at this point. 

“Sam, they’re half the reason you’re hurt right now,” Michael told him in his best older brother voice. “Let’s hope they’ve finally learned their fucking lesson after this.”

“I don’t think they’re gonna go after you guys again,” Sam speculated quietly, feeling the pain in his chest start to radiate and flare up once more. “Especially now that you’re both full vampires.” His words rang out in the car like a shot, his head rolling to the side in Michael’s lap as he fell asleep, Michael making sure he was softly snoring as he pet his head lightly. His eyes met David’s in the front seat, David quickly looking back through the windshield, not able to face Michael and his overwhelming guilt right now. Star remained silent, focusing on getting them back to the Emerson house as quickly as possible, knowing her groceries were going to spoil but it only mattered a fraction compared to her concern for Sam. She drove down the empty road leading to the large residence, honking the car horn twice to get the attention of its residents inside. Lucy and Grandpa ran out of the house as they approached, Star parking the car right in front as Michael roused Sam, letting him know they were home. Lucy rushed over to Michael’s car door side as it opened, taking one glance at Sam before she was yelling at her father to get the car, eyes wide with fear and sadness upon seeing the state her youngest was in. Grandpa got to it, bringing his car around as he and Michael helped Sam into the backseat, making sure he was comfortable. Lucy rounded on him once Sam was situated.

“Do either of you need to go to the hospital too?” she asked with her hand already on the handle of the back door of the car. Michael shook his head and David gave a weak thumbs up. “Okay. I’m glad you’re all safe, but you better have some answers when we get back,” his mother told him and he nodded, Grandpa driving off with Star in the passenger seat and Lucy holding Sam in the back. As they pulled out onto the road and the car disappeared in the distance, Michael stood watching after it, his eyes glazed over as he felt himself going numb to deal with the overwhelming emotions threatening to take over. 

David pulled slightly on his arm, nodding towards the house. “Come on. Let’s go inside,” he told Michael gently and Michael complied, letting himself be led into the house, fairly certain he wouldn’t fight anything right now. He guided Michael over to the sofa, sitting him down as David sat next to him, not even knowing where to start. What do you say when someone’s entire life had just changed? “Hope you enjoyed your last sunset,” he tried to joke, elbowing Michael good-naturedly, but he knew it fell flat when he was met with silence and Michael staring down at the floor. He’d clearly need to make some decisions for Michael for a little while, for his own sake. “We should shower,” David decided for them both and when he got no pushback, he led Michael upstairs and started the water. The dirt and blood from underneath Michael’s fingernails washed away, rinsing down the drain, the shower deathly quiet as Michael cleaned himself perfunctorily, David watching him with growing concern. There was a clear disconnect and he realized Michael didn’t want to address the matter, but they would have to eventually, especially before the sun came back up tomorrow. They had the whole night ahead of them though, and while he knew he wouldn’t be getting a response or any kind of emotion out of Michael any time soon, he could at least try to distract him until Lucy and the rest of the family got back. Once they were changed out of their dirt-covered clothes and into more comfortable pajamas, David led them back downstairs and sat Michael down in front of the television, turning on an episode of Star Trek that happened to be on. He wrapped a blanket around his shoulders and went to root around in the kitchen, coming back with one of Grandpa’s root beers and a package of his Oreos, setting them down on the table in front of Michael. He took his spot next to Michael again but gave him space, bringing his knees up and curling up on the sofa as he watched the show, gaze flitting over to Michael occasionally to make sure he was okay. 

They lost a few hours that way, David once in a while hearing Michael sniff and looking over to find his eyes red, but never seeing any tears fall. He got up and fetched some tissues anyway, just in case Michael needed them before settling back down. Glancing at the clock, he saw that it was nearing one in the morning and the Emersons still weren’t back, knowing Sam was going to be okay but still finding himself a little worried of how bad the damage was. Another episode of Star Trek started to play and they got halfway through the episode when he heard the car travelling down the road and the headlights shone through the front window, hopping up along with Michael as they waited for the front door to open. Lucy walked in holding onto Sam’s good arm, his other in a proper sling and his chest looking much cleaner and stitched up. He looked tired as hell, Grandpa following up the rear as he locked the door behind them. “Dad, could you take Sam up to bed, please?” Lucy asked, passing her son over to her father carefully as they headed upstairs slowly, Michael watching them go with residual guilt in his gut. Sighing, Lucy gestured to the kitchen silently, Michael looking back at David who followed them into the kitchen, each taking a seat at the table. She looked both of them up and down, taking in Michael’s raw knuckles and the various burn marks littering his arms and face and David’s raw wrists and the finger-shaped burns around his neck, the sight of her son and her practical son-in-law in such disrepair making her heart ache as she considered the possibilities. “Okay,” his mother began, closing her eyes for a moment as she inhaled and exhaled slowly. “Tell me what happened.”

When Michael hesitated, still not ready to try and process the night’s events especially in an attempt to summarize them, David took over instead. He filled Lucy in on all the details he could, apologizing for running out of the house without even telling Grandpa, apologizing for getting Sam hurt, apologizing for what happened to Michael. He didn’t elaborate, instead turning to Michael, using their mental connection to ask if he wanted to tell Lucy himself. Michael just stared blankly back at him before leaning forward, holding his mother’s arm on top of the table as he finally spoke since they’d gotten back home. He told her what he’d done and what he was now, and the tears finally started to spill over as he told her he couldn’t come downstairs during the day at all anymore and how he’d never be able to take Sam to school again or feel the warmth of the sun on his skin. He told her how sorry he was and that she probably thought he was a monster now, irredeemable without any human left in him. 

“Michael, stop that. You saved your little brother. Of course you’re not a monster,” Lucy reassured him, pulling her eldest in close and enveloping him in a tight hug as he wiped at his eyes over her shoulder. “I’m proud of you, honey. Sam is okay because of you, and David, and Star.” She pulled away from him, brushing his unruly curls out of his eyes, smiling softly. “Thank you for telling me instead of trying to hide it.” Michael nodded, still feeling as if he was in the middle of the wringer emotionally despite the giant weight lifted off of his shoulders. “Are you boys okay? I know you’ll probably heal soon, but do you need anything?”

“We’ll be fine,” David told her, glancing at Michael. “Should heal up in a day or two.” He cleared his throat nervously, attracting Lucy’s attention as she let Michael go, seeing the look of absolute acceptance in her eyes but still anxious about his future anyway. “Look, um, I get it if you blame me for Michael being full now. I understand if he blames me for it too, and if you guys wanna kick me out or never see me again, I won’t fight you on it.” He stumbled through the sentiment, hoping Lucy wouldn’t come to that but why wouldn’t she? He’d gotten one of her sons hurt and got the other turned into a full fucking vampire when he never wanted to be one, and he’d tried _so hard_ to make sure Michael never would turn, even if it meant they couldn’t spend the rest of their lives together, all because he cared about Michael so badly that it hurt sometimes. His destructive train of thought was broken by Lucy pulling him into a hug as well, taken off guard by the act of kindness when he should be shown resentment.

She held him in an embrace for a good minute, leaning back finally to fix him with a raised brow. “David, you’ve changed Michael so much, and I don’t just mean him being a vampire. I’ve seen how happy you’ve made him in the almost half a year since you came into our lives. We may have had a rocky start, but I’d like to think you and I have bonded a bit, and I consider you part of the family, even if you don’t see yourself that way, or don’t want to.” Lucy smiled as she saw him look away from her bashfully, but there was the barest trace of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “I know you lost your other family, but we’d be glad to have you as part of ours.” David finally looked at her, this delightfully silly woman that Max had wanted for himself, willing to take her against her will and hoping to make her his and the other boys’ mother. He’d been vehemently against it back then but accepted it wholeheartedly now, accepted Michael and his family, naive and way too kind hearted as they were. He’d protect them with his life.

“Thanks, Lucy,” was all he said in return and she patted his shoulder. He looked over to Michael who was once again lost in his thoughts. “Michael, not much is gonna change. You can still go downstairs and see your family since you know they’re gonna be awake when you get up, and you might not be able to take Sam to school but you’ll still be around when he graduates, and finds someone to marry, and if you really wanna feel the sun’s warmth on your skin again, I can get some more holy water for you,” he tried to help, knocking his shoulder against Michael’s to pull him out of his spiral. “It’ll be different, but we’ll figure it out, and I’ll be by your side to help you through it.”

Michael sighed, knowing David was right. So he’d have to change his schedule a bit, but it could work. His family would be awake for a few more hours when he got up every night so it wasn’t like he’d never be able to spend time with them again. He knew he couldn’t stay there at the house his whole life though, couldn’t keep him and David cooped up in his room forever, but pushed that thought aside to worry about later. “I know you will,” he told David, looking back over to his mother. “Mom, you know what we need to do to stay alive. Are you sure you want me in the house, knowing what we have to do?” It remained unspoken that they still killed and fed from people, and now that Michael was turned fully, he imagined it shouldn’t matter whether he kept his victims alive or killed them himself, but the thought of killing anyone else was still abhorrent to him, going against every fiber of his being.

Lucy considered it for a moment before facing him with a deathly serious expression. “Michael, you’re my son. I want you to stay alive more than I want you to die. I know you have a sensible head on your shoulders and you’ll use your best judgement, and you’ll know exactly how to handle this the best way you can. Just because you’re a full vampire now doesn’t mean you’re any less of a good boy.” It was exactly what Michael needed to hear and he nodded, willing himself not to let any more tears fall. Lucy yawned, glancing over at the clock in the kitchen. “I’m beat, boys. We’ll talk about this more tomorrow night when you guys wake up, okay?” she asked them, standing from the table and saying goodnight, heading off to bed. Michael and David rose from the table as well, shutting the television off before going to climb into bed for the night, both fairly tired even though the moon was high in the sky.

Despite Michael seeming to be in better spirits after their talk with Lucy, David was still hesitant around him, not wanting to upset him if he was still in a somber mood. “Michael, if you wanna be alone tonight, I can, um...go in your closet or something,” he offered, looking off at the closet door, thinking it wouldn’t be too bad and might actually remind him of the hotel. “Sleeping next to a vampire’s probably the last thing you wanna do right now.” He felt Michael curl into his side, felt him pull him in close with an arm thrown across his chest, and David would have had to fight him just to escape so it was a good thing he didn’t want to do that. David wrapped his arm around Michael’s shoulder, realized the part of his shirt Michael had tucked his face into was starting to dampen and nodded knowingly, pressing a soft kiss to his temple. He felt Michael’s curls caress his cheek as he did so, speaking to him non verbally whilst pulling the blankets up over them. _You’re not alone, Michael. I’ll be here if you need me_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter after this 🥺


	16. like a beast in repose

True to David’s promise, Michael and his family were starting to figure out how to deal with his newfound status. It was rough the first couple of nights, having to tell himself that when he’d be going to sleep, his family would be just starting their day and the melancholy he felt that he’d be missing it. They stayed up late with him though, except when Sam had a test the next day or Lucy had to work in the morning, so things didn’t change as much as he thought they would. His body adjusted himself to the regular vampire sleeping schedule pretty easily and he woke up feeling well-rested every night. On his harder to cope nights, David listened to him rant about what he’d miss about being human and offered him solutions and alternatives. When he wasn’t able to, like when Michael cried into his arms about how he was going to have to watch Lucy and Sam get older without him and eventually see them pass away, David just reminded him to enjoy the time he could spend with them now and try not to think about the distant future. He’d always been used to not having a blood family to care about if they died, but he imagined watching people you love grow old while you stayed the same age was probably pretty difficult. They had so much time though and when Michael started going down that road, David just dragged him downstairs to spend some quality time with his mom and brother, and sometimes even his grandfather if he was around. Lucy and Sam never had qualms about getting to see Michael and were more than happy to get some bonding time in, whether it was watching television or playing games or David and Michael taking Sam to the boardwalk. Not much changed and Michael was grateful for it, for the people in his life that were making his change bearable.

Sam healed up pretty well too, not needing to miss too much school as he recovered but making up his work anyway while he was out, David making fun of him relentlessly and calling him a nerd for doing homework while he could have slacked off. November had passed fairly quietly and Sam was mostly fine, his range of motion in his arm nearly back to normal and the pain in his chest little more than a dull ache as the scar started to heal. He hadn’t heard from the Frog brothers and figured they were keeping their distance, probably thinking Sam was pissed at them both for what happened and while he was, he also missed his friends but wasn’t quite ready to try and reconcile with them just yet. It was painful for him to have to stay out of the comic shop, eyeing it longingly every time he passed it, but it was probably for the best. They knew Michael was a full vampire now and Michael knew they knew, and whatever unspoken agreement had been made that night in the cave that they would leave Michael and David alone seemed to be going strong. Michael still stuck closely by Sam’s side whenever they passed the comic shop, just in case, just out of his big brother instinct. 

As December started and passed, however, it started to nag at him more, how close Sam had ended up being to getting killed because of him. As he watched his little brother go about his day as a normal kid, playing video games and reading his comic books and helping their mom out in the kitchen, all he could see was Sam flying across the cave like he was a rag doll, hearing the same sickening thump as he’d landed on the ground, smelling his blood as it had spilled forth. Michael didn’t want to put Sam in that position ever again and knew the longer he stayed in the house, in Santa Carla, the more he’d be putting Sam and the rest of his family at risk. He expressed his concerns to David, who understood where Michael was coming from but didn’t have much in the way of a solution other than going back to the hotel, which was definitely a no from Michael. As the holidays neared and Michael still couldn’t shake his guilty conscience, Star had shown up one night along with Mrs. Johnson in the car that Star had driven them back to the house in. She was riding his motorcycle, which had a big and shiny bow right over its headlight, her bright smile as she parked it cutting through the dark chill of the evening air. Michael couldn’t help but smile as he took his keys back and waved Star’s apology off, conceding that he’d deserved it anyway for how he’d treated her. They shared a quick hug and Star even winked at David, telling him it had been amusing enough to see him on the back of his own bike after being there herself. He’d rolled his eyes at her and stalked off, thanking her sarcastically and muttering about how at least he wouldn’t have to share his bike anymore. Thankfully Grandpa had enough of a driveway to park both bikes on or there might have been a problem.

Sam got a little break from school for the holidays and spent most of the time with Lucy, showing her what he wanted for Christmas and helping her decorate the house. They even got Michael and David in on it, David flying up to place the star on top of the tree. Presents started to fill in underneath it and they celebrated it on the night of Christmas Eve rather than the morning after, Sam more than happy to open his presents a day early while Lucy passed hot chocolate around. She got Sam some new clothes for school and Michael and David some matching ugly Christmas sweaters that she made them put on right away, both boys grumbling as they did so. David gave Sam a drawing he’d done of Sam as Superman, which Sam cherished, saying it was his favorite present and totally beat out the stack of comics Michael had given him. Sam got David some more cassettes and Michael an earring that was nearly identical to David’s, evidently having accepted his piercing now but still poked fun at him anyway, saying it probably wouldn’t look as good on him as it did David. Michael had trapped him in a headlock for that, Sam laughing it off as it felt like old times. The three of them got Lucy a nice spa package consisting of a basket of bubble bath, a nice-smelling candle, and a bottle of wine, using the last of Michael’s one paycheck that he’d saved. She hugged them and went to head off to bed, leaving Sam downstairs to play some of his new video games on the television while David and Michael retired for the night as well.

“God, this thing is scratchy,” David complained once they were back upstairs, pulling the itchy sweater over his head and tossing it on top of the dresser. Michael laughed as he followed suit, taking his off as well and digging in the dresser for more comfortable shirts for them both. As he busied himself with the task, he pulled out a wrapped gift, turning back around to hand David a shirt only to find him holding a smaller present in his hands as well. They stared at each other for a moment before sharing a laugh, exchanging the two gifts. 

“You didn’t have to get me anything,” Michael told him but shook the box anyway, it’s contents not moving as he did so. “God knows I’ve been pretty naughty this year.”

“Not naughty enough, if you ask me,” David teased, ripping the wrapping paper off of his present. It was a smaller scrapbook, just big enough for one or two Polaroids per page, but it was black and Michael had already attached one of the photos of David and the boys to the cover. He looked back up at Michael, a small smile forming as he flipped through its empty contents.

Michael shrugged, bashful now that he’d actually given David his present, wondering if it was _too_ sentimental. “You know, so you don’t have to keep your photos in that jacket pocket anymore,” he said in way of an explanation. “I mean, if it’s too mushy or whatever, I get it.”

David shook his head, closing the book and tucking it under his arm. “It’s perfect, Michael. Thanks.” He leaned forward, bringing Michael in close for a quick but passionate kiss. “It’ll be great for what I have in mind for us, actually.”

“Yeah? What’s that?” Michael asked, but David pointed at the present he was still holding.

“Open that first,” he instructed with an excited glint in his eye. Michael followed the order, tearing off a corner of the wrapping paper to reveal a small box that still had the price tag on it, which didn’t surprise him in the least. He gave David a look and David scoffed as he caught it. “What? I don’t pay for stuff and I don’t plan on starting now,” he said with a shrug. Michael rolled his eyes but opened the box anyway, finding a pair of beautiful black leather gloves inside. He took them out of their package, slipping them on and humming in admiration. “You like ‘em?”

“Yeah, but I can’t help but think you got ‘em for me so I don’t embarrass you when we go riding together,” he answered with a chuckle. “Santa Carla’s most fearsome vampire leader can’t be seen with some nobody who doesn’t even wear leather gloves, huh?” He deflected David’s swats at his arm easily, grinning as he watched David get more irritated. 

“No, you jerk. They really do help with riding, so I got you some hoping you’ll say yes to what I’m gonna ask.” David paused a moment, gathering his thoughts, Michael waiting patiently for him to continue. “I’ve lived in Santa Carla my entire hundred years of life, and I think I’ve seen enough of it. I know you’re worried about Sam and the rest of your family getting hurt the longer we stay here, so...what if we head out? See the rest of the country, or the world, maybe?” He was anxious about Michael’s answer and so added on, hoping to sway him. “We’ll come back whenever you want, for holidays or whatever, but I’d love to see what else is out there. What do you say?”

Michael considered the proposal, initially hesitant about leaving his family for so long, but David had said they could come and visit whenever he started getting homesick. He knew Lucy would take it hard, and so would Sam, but ultimately, it’d be better for everyone and undoubtedly safer for the two of them. Travelling the country on motorcycle with David by his side did sound like his own little piece of heaven. “As long as we can keep in touch with them,” Michael stipulated and David nodded. “Then let’s do it.” David broke out in a grin, Michael pulling him in and pressing a deep kiss against his lips, a grin of his own forming as they separated. Something was bothering him still, however, and David stared at him with a raised brow until he caved. “We don’t have any money, though. How are we gonna get gas, and where are we gonna stay?” he asked, still a bit uncomfortable with the prospect of stealing to survive. 

“Let me worry about that,” David told him, fully intending to use his compelling abilities in order to get them what they needed, be it gas, hotels for the day when they slept, or food. Nothing was going to stop him from his cross country trip with Michael, especially not something as arbitrary as cash. “I’ll get you everything you deserve and more, Michael.” His partner may not have been as inclined as he was to take what he wanted just yet, but maybe a few years of being a vampire would soften him up a bit. “Besides, there’s a whole nation full of assholes out there just waiting to be feasted on, so we’ll never need to worry about our next meal.” Michael nodded in agreement, but said nothing more on the subject, David knowing that he’d probably need to keep killing their prey for a bit longer yet. Maybe in time, Michael would come around, but that was a problem for the future.

“When should we leave?” Michael asked and though he sounded eager, there was a hint of sadness in his question. David thought about it, realizing Michael would want to spend the last couple of days before they left with his family as much as possible.

“How about after the new year?” David suggested and Michael lit up a bit, relieved he’d get to see Sam while he was off from school for a while longer along with his mother and grandfather. They decided on their departure date being two days after the start of the new year, leaving a little more than a week for them to inform the family and figure out where they were going first.

———————————————-

The week flew by in a blur of emotions, both happy and sad, excited and melancholic, hopeful and scared. Telling Lucy they were planning on leaving went about as well as Michael thought it would, full of tears and questioning if he was certain that’s what he wanted and pleas that they would come back and visit often. He hugged his mother, thanking her for all of her support during this weird fucking time in his life and promising that they would keep in touch and maybe send a postcard or two if they remembered. Grandpa had wandered into the kitchen, wondering who had made Lucy so upset and David filled him in, a knowing look in his eye as he’d nodded sagely and told them he figured this was coming. Still, he patted both of them on the shoulder, telling them he was glad they had found each other and that they really balanced one another out. He never would have imagined this punk kid that had gotten impaled on his work table half a year ago would end up being the guy Michael chose for the rest of his days, but figured life was funny like that and he shouldn’t question it. Santa Carla was already so goddamn weird.

Sam might have taken it even harder than Lucy had, the two vampires informing him of their plan after he’d come back from a friend’s house one night, trying his best not to ask them to go in his usual screechy whine. Still, he felt tears starting to well up as Michael hugged him close, telling him he would miss him but that he’d definitely see him again. He hugged David too, not believing that he was doing so given their first meeting back in summer, when he was sure David would have killed the shit out of him back in the cave. It was surreal, in a way, and he could take a guess and say David felt the same way but knew he would miss the guy. They’d become like family, after all, but he saw the way Michael looked at David and the way David looked at Michael and knew that his big brother would be in good hands. It felt odd saying that, knowing what the two of them were, but the change Michael had on David was clear as day and he somehow realized that they weren’t going to kill for fun, because Michael wasn’t that kind of person and David wanted to make Michael happy. Whatever they needed to do would be done for survival, and Sam wanted his brother to survive more than anything.

The night before they planned to leave came way quicker than they were anticipating and while Grandpa had made a date with Mrs. Johnson, Lucy had to work that night but planned on picking up Sam to see a movie with him after she got off. She’d asked the boys if they wanted to go too, but they had to make sure they packed everything they’d need for the next night. Sam asked Michael and David to take him out to the boardwalk one last time and they did, keeping him entertained while he waited for Lucy to get off. She’d given him some money to spend and along with the money Grandpa had given him for Christmas, he had enough to buy himself a leather jacket in his size, excitedly showing Michael and David as he came out of the dressing room. “I know I ragged on your sense of fashion before and it’s not really my style, but I wanted something to remember you guys by,” he’d explained, shoving his hands in the pockets as he looked off to the side. Michael ruffled his hair and told him it suited him while David said it looked cool as fuck and that he just needed a motorcycle now. Michael chided him, telling him not to put any ideas in Sam’s head or he’d turn out like Michael when he got older. Sam smiled fondly as he listened to them bicker playfully, savoring the moment as he realized he was going to miss them. 

They still had some time before Lucy got off, so they took Sam to dinner at Star’s diner, hoping she’d be working that night. The bell on the door rang and she looked up from bringing a table their food, spotting the trio and smiling at them. Sam waved at her as she finished up and headed over.

“Hi, guys,” she greeted, grabbing some menus for them. “Sam, isn’t it a school night?”

“I go back next week,” Sam told her and Michael knew he was relieved he still had a bit longer left on his break. Sam definitely worked hard in school and so getting to rest was something he was enjoying. “How’s school going for you?” he asked as they sat down at a booth. 

“It’s going really good. I passed all of my classes last semester,” she told him, smiling proudly when the table gave their congratulations all around. “I should be able to graduate in a year or so.” Michael was glad that she’d been able to get her life sorted out and on track - she deserved it and he imagined she’d get pretty far in life in whatever she decided to pursue. “Did you guys have a nice holiday?”

Sam nodded, relaying what he’d gotten from everyone and what everyone else had gotten too. She nodded and smiled, enjoying listening to Sam talk excitedly more than anything, relieved he had healed up okay. He was saying something important about Michael and David and she tuned back in, looking over at the pair. “So tonight’s our last night with the Fang Gang! They’re gonna go on, like, a road trip around the country. I wish I could go,” Sam sighed wistfully, Michael raising an eyebrow at him as David barked out a laugh.

“The _Fang Gang?_ ” David repeated, unable to keep the grin off of his face at the title. “God, I love that. Should have called me and the boys that instead.”

Star snorted lightly, shaking her head. “I wouldn’t have joined you guys if you were calling yourselves that,” she said, earning some more laughs from the whole table. “Well, I’m sad to see you guys actually go, but I had a feeling you wouldn’t stay in Santa Carla forever. Especially with all of the hunters.” A silence came over the table as they all remembered that night in the cave, Star clearing her throat to try and clear the air. “Have any of you heard from those boys since?”

“No, but it’s been long enough and I think they feel bad about what happened,” Sam answered with a sigh. “They probably think I’m pissed at them, so I should probably reach out first. Right?” he asked, looking around at the older teens. 

Michael shrugged. “Only if you want to, Sam. You don’t really owe them anything.” His feelings on the Frogs were mixed, skewing towards resentment for being the catalyst of his turning fully, but what’s done was done and it didn’t make sense to linger on the negative aspect of it. “But I know you’re a good kid and you’ll figure out what to do. Life’s too short for regrets.”

Sam scoffed, hitting his sibling’s arm. “You don’t get to say that anymore, Mike. You’re immortal now.”

Michael had laughed it off, but the reminder still bugged him a bit, choosing not to think about it too hard when he was supposed to be enjoying the night with Sam. David found his hand underneath the table, covering it with his own comfortingly as Star started to take their orders. They had a nice meal together, sharing memories and Michael telling Sam to not give Lucy too much trouble while he was away and to eat his vegetables or something. Sam told him and David to not play with their food before they eat it which earned a laugh from David. Michael also told him that they’d be back for the big stuff and Sam wrote their phone number on a piece of napkin and gave it to Michael, telling him to call and let him and Lucy know how they were doing. Michael agreed, slipping it into his jacket pocket.

When they’d finished eating, Star went on her break and walked them out, a little surprised at herself that she was actually going to miss the two. Sam told her that he’d keep everyone updated on each other, earning amused smiles from the group. She and Michael hugged and she told him to be careful, the implication that the warning included David not lost on him but he agreed that he would anyway. If David caught it too, he didn’t care, telling her not to worry and that he’d take good care of Michael. She still looked unsure but her fears assuaged just a bit as she watched them walk off hand in hand, never having been able to imagine those two ending up together when she joined the pack. Star stood outside for a minute longer before she went back in, relieved to have the rest of her own human life to live.

Michael and David dropped Sam off at the video store, Lucy waving at them from inside as she finished up. Sam seemed unsure about going in, glancing back and forth between the two before he sighed. “I guess we gotta say goodbye now, huh?” he asked, his big eyes nearly making Michael reconsider the whole thing. He remembered why they were going in the first place and put on his best cool big brother act, shaking his head and placing his hand on Sam’s shoulder.

“We’ll say goodbye tomorrow night before we leave,” Michael reassured him. “Go have fun with mom.” Sam grinned at him with a nod before heading into the video shop, Lucy glancing up one more time to fix both boys with an unamused stare as she took one look at what Sam was wearing. Michael shrugged and gave her a sheepish smile through the window while David winked at her, both boys laughing and departing the shop before she could scold them. “Good thing I’m immortal now or that look would have killed me,” Michael joked, figuring if he poked enough fun at the fact, it might start to bother him less. David gave a hum in response, his mind clearly elsewhere as he fixated on something in the distance. Michael looked over at what he was focusing on, seeing the faces of Edgar and Alan looking back at them from their comic store entrance. His hackles went up immediately, but the brothers just gave a nod in acknowledgement before going back to work and Michael relaxed minutely. David pulled him along, the two of them only looking back once more to watch as Sam led Lucy into the comic shop and they could see him talking to the brothers, evidently to invite them along to the movie. They didn’t stick around to see the outcome but Michael was glad Sam had been mature, not sure he would have been able to do the same.

“Fuck. Should have brought my gloves,” David whined next to him, pulling at Michael’s before Michael swatted his hands off. “Can we go back now? It’s colder than hell out here.”

“You sure you don’t wanna stick around a little longer? Aren’t you gonna miss it?” Michael asked, gesturing towards the boardwalk.

David took a moment to look back at it, taking in its lights and sounds and crowds of people that he’d once hunted in plain sight, feeling a nostalgic pang but ultimately shaking his head. “Nah. Time to move on,” he decided, hooking his arm under Michael’s as he led them towards Michael’s bike. “Take us home,” he requested softly. “Before I freeze to death.” Michael complied, feeling David hold onto him tighter on the way back. 

Once they arrived, they headed upstairs, David shedding his jacket and pulling the blanket off of Michael’s bed to wrap it around himself, sighing contently as he warmed up. Michael was quiet, taking off his own jacket but moving slowly as he did so until David spoke up again. “Michael, you okay?”

Looking up and seeming to jump out of his own thoughts, Michael nodded. “Yeah, just. Thinking about the last night in the house. I’m gonna miss it, despite all the shit that happened in here.” A sad smile crossed his face and David watched him carefully, a mischievous smirk spreading across his own as he dropped the blanket on the floor. 

“Well, why don’t we enjoy it one last time?” David asked him, and though the question sounded innocent enough, the way he’d asked was anything but. Michael raised a brow at him, curiosity piqued as something seemed to spark and dance behind David’s expression. He left the room after kicking off his boots, continuing to talk while he descended the stairs. “We could make one final... _unforgettable_ memory before we go,” he called out and Michael finally followed, confused as to where he’d gone when David cleared his throat from the bottom of the staircase. He was holding his shirt in one hand and leaning against the banister, fixing Michael with the most suggestive expression he’d ever seen. Michael swallowed, the sight of David in just a tight pair of pants never failing to take his breath away. 

“Really? Down there?” Michael asked him, already taking the stairs down himself against his better judgement. 

“Why not? Your grandpa’s on a date and Lucy and Sam will be gone for a while,” David reminded him innocently, his voice already fading away as he headed to the right, opening the doors to Grandpa’s workshop. Michael watched him from the bottom step, confusion present in his features until he watched David kick aside the chair in front of the table and lean forward to push the couple of antlers and bones away from the edge of it, thankfully nothing falling to the floor as the table was fairly empty. He hopped up backward onto the cleared space, crossing one leg over the other as he leaned back on the table with one arm, the other resting on his knee. “You already impaled me here once. Interested in doing it again?” David asked, voice dripping with the innuendo, tilting his head to the side and fuck if the conniving bastard didn’t know exactly what he was doing. 

Michael wouldn’t dream of saying no, not when David was already half undressed and completely willing. “God, you’re unbelievable,” he teased, already on his way over when he passed the smaller table a lamp was sitting on top of, muscle memory making him remember that Grandpa had pointed it out to him and Sam when they’d first moved in. He opened it, retrieving the rosary inside on top of the bible and small vial of holy water, not knowing why he’d been shown it before but it made perfect sense now. He’d hesitated, but the gloves protected him from the holy object and he had a more nefarious purpose for it in mind anyway than prayer. He closed the drawer, slipping the beads into the pocket of his jeans as he approached David, an innocent smile on his face despite what he had planned. David could have figured it out if he’d decided to root around in Michael’s head, but they hadn’t needed to use the mental connection in a while. 

“What’d you grab? Lube? I told you I don’t need that shit,” David reminded him as he uncrossed his legs to make room for Michael in between them, Michael shutting him up by pulling him into a deep, biting kiss. The table was the perfect height to press his groin against David’s, earning a shuddered noise of approval from him and effectively distracting him when Michael caught one of his hands as it snaked in between their bodies. He joined it with David’s other hand before fetching the rosary from his pocket, wrapping it in a loose, messy knot around his wrists, David breaking them apart to look down at Michael’s handiwork. It was already starting to burn a bit and David winced, but he breathed out an incredulous laugh.

“Yeah, David, I grabbed lube from one of the drawers in my grandpa’s house,” Michael finally answered sarcastically. “Seriously, though, does it hurt? I can take it off -“

David cut him off, lifting his restrained hands from in between them and up over Michael’s head, resting his arms on Michael’s shoulders as he reconnected them again, coaxing Michael’s tongue out to play with his own. He grinned against Michael’s lips when Michael reached between them, unzipping David’s pants and sneaking a hand inside. “I like a little pain,” he murmured, forehead pressed against Michael’s as he watched Michael pull him out, already half hard from the idea that he was going to fuck David on the same table he’d nearly killed him on. Michael took a moment to rip one of the gloves off with his teeth, throwing it to the side before circling David’s length, David jumping slightly at the skin on skin contact and the pace Michael was intent on setting. He was already leaking precome, David letting his approval with Michael’s ministrations sound unfiltered, grateful that they had the house to themselves. Michael let his hand travel further south, using some of David’s precome to open him up despite David’s words earlier, slipping a finger and then a second one inside and playing with him until he was a pleading, cursing mess. 

Michael removed his fingers and ducked his head from underneath David’s arms, laying him down on the table and shimmying the rest of his jeans off, throwing them to the side as he ripped his own shirt off, wishing he’d undressed earlier so it wouldn’t be interfering now. David laughed at his frustration as Michael struggled to shed his pants, cutting himself off with a choked gasp in surprise as Michael bit his inner thigh on his way back up from tossing his clothes aside. “Thought you liked pain. Were you lying?” Michael asked him, not expecting a response as it was evident David was very much enjoying himself, if the state of his arousal was anything to go by. He stood fully, taking his position in between David’s spread legs, lining himself up and pushing just his tip inside, the feeling being enough to coax a sigh of pleasure out of David. 

When it was clear Michael intended on torturing him for a good bit longer instead of giving him what he wanted, David whined impatiently, lifting his legs to wrap them around Michael’s waist in an effort to motivate him. Michael just looked up from underneath his lashes, a pleased little smirk on his very punchable face, and fuck, this is probably why he decided to restrain David or he would have had nail marks up and down his back right now and greedy, incessant hands pulling him forward. “I _do_ , but _this_ is fucking torture,” David told him lowly, any movement he’d done to try and break the rosary just serving to hurt that much more, his attention on it for a moment as it was starting to feel more like a bone-deep burn than just a surface one. Michael took that opportunity to slide in fully, relishing the immediate change in expression on David’s face from frustration to pure bliss. He’d yelped in surprise at the sudden motion, temporarily forgetting about the pain near his wrists to focus on the pleasure instead. Michael wasn’t planning on rushing, wishing to drag this out as long as he could, so he stayed there for a minute, enjoying the sight of himself fully sheathed inside of David. “I think it’s hilarious that you call _me_ vain when _you’re_ the one admiring the view,” David got out with some difficulty as he tried to move up a little on the table, Michael’s bruising grip on his hip stopping him from doing so.

Michael finally withdrew almost all the way out before he snapped his hips forward again, ripping an irritated but relieved moan from David’s throat, the sound echoing throughout the house. He repeated the motion, setting a tormentingly slow pace that had David lifting his head up from the table to fix Michael with a glare, his pupils blown wide as he actually considered begging Michael to speed up. “Last time you were on this table, it was quick and hard. This time, I’m gonna take it nice and slow,” Michael told him, but even as he said it, he’d picked his pace up, all too eager to keep pushing into David and hearing all of his little noises. He knew if he went at the rhythm David wanted, he’d be coming way too soon and he’d be damned if he was going to come before David did. “I wonder if you can come without me touching you?” Michael mused, and that was downright evil but David was the one who said he liked pain. 

David felt completely helpless, unable to use his hands with them up above his head, unable to touch himself, unable to rip Michael apart for the deliciously agonizing speed he was thrusting into David with. He arched his back off the table, letting his head fall back with a thump as Michael finally, _finally_ sped up. “Fuck, Michael, faster,” he tried to beg, feeling Michael’s gloved hand trace down his chest and his stomach, teasing by mere proximity but he knew Michael wasn’t going to touch him. The thought made him growl, tugging at his restraints futilely, desperate to rip out of them and pull Michael close and ride the ever living shit out of him. He knew Michael could sense his desperation but was _choosing_ to ignore it, and he could just about kill Michael for that. 

Just when he thought he couldn’t take any more of Michael’s personal brand of torture, Michael granted him a reprieve, suddenly slamming into David for a good couple of thrusts, enough to make David a whimpering mess as he felt his release build up. Right before he was able to come, Michael pulled almost all the way out, albeit on shaky legs and David could tell his plan to prolong David’s orgasm had backfired on him as well. That almost made it okay except for the fact that David was already so close and to have it ripped away like that made him yell in frustration, Michael unable to hold his smug laughter in at the outburst. He leaned down to place a soft kiss to David’s lips in apology, but David bit down on his bottom lip and he pulled back, licking the blood away with a grin. “You’re pretty upset for someone who’s right in the middle of getting fucked,” Michael pointed out and David bared his teeth in warning. “I don’t know how bad you want it, though. Maybe you should tell me?”

David was going to slaughter him for this, that much was certain. There was no use fighting Michael now though, not when he was the only person capable of giving David exactly what he needed right now. David was completely at his mercy and that was enough of a turn on to keep Michael hard throughout his little teasing torture session. Steeling himself, David took a breath. “Michael, you went from throwing me onto a pair of antlers to fucking me on the same exact table in the span of half a year. I’d like nothing more than for you to go ahead and finish what you started and make me scream again for a different, much better reason than last time.” It was a wonder he’d been able to say the entire thing given his shot nerves, practically shaking from the anticipation of being able to feel Michael slide into him again. His answer seemed to be good enough for Michael, who stared at him open-mouthed but dropped his head as a chuckle escaped him. He slid both hands underneath David’s ass, lifting him slightly to be able to position himself to hit David’s sweet spot as he started moving again, this time fully intending to make David see stars and help him finish. David’s groans picked up again as Michael resumed his thrusts with renewed vigor, one gloved hand sliding around to hold him by his waist and the other raking his nails down David’s chest, leaving four equal red angry trails that started to heal immediately, but David felt their biting impact. It wasn’t long at all before Michael was making him cry out, mostly curses and Michael’s name sprinkled in but his voice echoed around them all the same, music to Michael’s ears as he kept pushing into David without interruption. David made one last ditch effort to make Michael come first, lifting himself up from the table using his momentum and letting his bound hands rest on the back of Michael’s neck, the burn from the rosary making Michael jump and suddenly, he was coming without warning, the pain mixing with the pleasure and ripping his orgasm from him. He thrusted one final time into David, the motion and Michael’s own deep moans making him finish as well, throwing his head back as his release came like a shockwave. He could still feel Michael pushing his hips forward, felt him moving inside shallowly as he rode out his own lingering pulses of pleasure before he pulled out, David shuddering from the feeling of being empty again. 

Michael pushed himself up from the table as David brought his hands up and in front of Michael. He used his gloved hand to untie the rosary, dropping it on the table next to them as David flexed his hands again, pleased to see the marks the beads had left but glad he was able to move again. Michael took both of his hands into his own and kissed them, kissed the inside of his wrists and his palms too. “Did I go far enough?” Michael asked in a teasing lilt, referencing David’s question to him on the cliff after their bike race, after Michael had socked him across the face and David decided that he needed this beautiful creature in his life.

David laughed, the noise a bit strained after all the yelling he’d done, placing a sweet kiss to Michael’s lips as he threaded his hand up into Michael’s curls. “Just as far as I wanted you to go,” he answered blissfully. They had a mess to clean up between their scattered clothing and the fluids shed between them both, but for the moment, David was happy and Michael was happy and nothing in the world could change that.

—————————————-

Michael and David had done their fair share of traveling across the country, one bag packed between them consisting of David’s camera, his scrapbook, Michael’s Walkman, a few cassettes, and Sam’s phone number, not having needed much else when they set off nearly ten months prior. The time had flown by and they’d only seen a portion of the rest of the country, both of their favorite places so far being Seattle and Chicago. They’d only been in New York City a couple of days but it was quickly moving up on the list too, never having to look very far whenever they got hungry, both for food and for blood. The nightlife in the city was perfect too and they never ran out of stuff to do, David already telling Michael he wouldn’t mind if they stayed there for a while. Michael was inclined to agree, wondering if other vampires had figured out that it was a primo hunting spot, if the thousands of people they passed each night were sporting some of their own kind.

David’s birthday had come around again, New York City on Halloween night a special occasion indeed. They’d just fed the night before, however, and he whined to Michael to take him out somewhere special for dinner. Michael agreed, asking the locals where the best place to eat around there was and they all agreed on an upscale French cafe. He’d led David there in the evening and though they hadn’t worn costumes this year, they stopped to admire and people watch all of the other costumes, Michael remembering a year ago when David had actually gotten him to dress up in heels and a corset and put makeup on. They did pass another group of people dressed from Rocky Horror, David nudging him in his side and pointing to them. “You’re wearing the heels next time,” Michael had told him with a warning glare.

They got to the restaurant and of course it was fairly packed, being dinner time in the heart of the city. “I’ll go get us on the waiting list,” David told Michael, instructing him to stay outside since there wasn’t anywhere to sit inside the place anyway. Michael nodded, standing off to the side of the glass doors and watching more people go by as David went in. He approached the host, requesting a table for two, told that it would be about a fifteen minute wait and was asked for his name. “It’ll be Emerson,” he answered.

“First name?” the host asked as he penciled it down in his notebook. 

David turned to look over his shoulder, watching Michael bare his fangs at a couple of kids dressed up like Dracula and Nosferatu, their mothers behind them laughing as they yelled in delight and pointed at Michael. His human features remained so as not to frighten the kids, but there was a grin on his face as he held his arms up like he was going to attack them, and David turned to face the host again, a smile of his own tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“David Emerson.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaa thanks for reading, everyone!! I really appreciate all of your comments and kudos and etc. 🖤 I’m so sad I finished this but I may or may not write more LB stuff in the future 👀


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